Economic evaluation

This publication is the executive summary for a full report which demonstrates the value of ecosystems and biodiversity to the economy, to society and to individuals. It underlines the urgency of action, as well as the benefits and opportunities that will arise as a result of taking such action. The report shows that the cost of sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services is lower than the cost of allowing biodiversity and ecosystem services to dwindle.

This report has been commissioned by the Atoll Ecosystem Conservation Project at the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment, Government of Maldives, and its main objective is to quantify and demonstrate the economic value of the Maldivian coastal and marine biodiversity; and to provide an economic rationale for biodiversity conservation.

This TEEB report presents a sub-set of early conclusions which relate to climate change. Although a fuller report on these issues was to be released in late 2009, this shorter version was released in preparation for the climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009, and includes the climate-related conclusions and recommendations generated for policy-makers, negotiators and the general public.

L'UICN a mené une étude sur le potentiel économique de la vallée du Sourou, dont les principales conclusions ont été présentées aux principaux acteurs de la vallée, lors d'un atelier à Tougan au Burkina Faso en avril 2010.

The TEEB for Local and Regional Policy Makers was released on September 9, 2010, and includes overviews to the various chapters of the full TEEB for Local and Regional Policy Makers Report.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Interim Report, a first assessment stemming from a G8+5 initiative sponsored by Germany and the European Commission, points to the growing pressures on biodiversity and ecosystem services across the world and the need for improved valuation metrics for pricing natural resources. The main pressures come from population growth, changing diets, urbanization, climate change and invasive alien species.

The aim of this synthesis is to highlight and illustrate the approach adopted by TEEB: namely to show how economic concepts and tools can help equip society with the means to incorporate the values of nature into decision making at all levels.

Le but de cette étude est de sensibiliser les décideurs politiques et les acteurs de la conservation de la biodiversité sur les valeurs économiques de la vallée du Sourou en vue d'influencer les politiques d'aménagement et de conservation des écosystèmes naturels. Les objectifs spécifiques sont : (i) déterminer l'importance écologique et économique des écosystèmes de la vallée du Sourou (ii) évaluer la valeur économique des biens et services environnementaux associés au fleuve Sourou.

This study focused specifically on one perceived opportunity for developing IPES, namely the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). REDD refers to any conservation or sustainable land-use initiative that effectively mitigates a real deforestation/degradation threat in a given area.

This report provides a summary for the business community, illustrated with examples from a range of companies and sectors. It asks: what are the risks and opportunities to business of ecological change? What is business currently doing about biodiversity and ecosystem services? What more could business do? and how can the business imperative to deliver profits be better aligned with the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources?