Coral reefs are worth £6tn a year in services they provide for people - almost four times as much as the UK economy - an assessment of the value of natural assets has found in the ‘Earth Index’ drawn up for BBC Earth.
From around the web
Coral Reefs Worth Four Times as Much as UK Economy, 'Earth Index' Finds
(The Guardian)
October 07, 2015
Incorporating Natural Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services in U.S. Decision-Making
(U.S. White House)
October 07, 2015
The U.S. Administration issued a memorandum directing Federal agencies to factor the value of ecosystem services into Federal planning and decision-making.
Program Launch for the 2015 World Forum on Natural Capital
(Natural Capital Coalition)
September 28, 2015
The program for the 2015 World Forum on Natural Capital has now been launched, and includes a wealth of international speakers and experts who will attend the two day event in Edinburgh, Scotland, November 23-24, 2015.
Natural Capital in Business Planning: Challenges and Opportunities
(Earth Institute/Colombia University)
September 25, 2015
In late September 2015, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Earth Institute hosted the Natural Capital Business Roundtable to discuss this growing topic, bringing together an intimate group of business, government, and non-profit leaders.
Water Scarcity is Not the Problem…Undervalued Water Is
(Valuing Nature)
September 25, 2015
Often identified as one of the most important environmental risks worldwide, water scarcity is in fact an effect, and not a cause of the underlying issues: degradation of natural, built and social capital and inadequate water allocation and usage, altogether exacerbated by climate change.
UK Government Responds to Natural Capital Committee Recommendations
(British Ecology Society)
September 23, 2015
How the new UK Conservative Government plans to respond to welcome recommendations in third State of Natural Capital report.
Why Business Must Become Regenerative
(Huffington Post)
September 22, 2015
A critical first step to reach Sustainable Development Goal 15 is to rapidly build more awareness across business and financial sectors on how and why natural systems are critical to economic wellbeing, says Chairman and CEO of Kering, François-Henri Pinaul.
There Is No Planet B
(Huffington Post)
September 21, 2015
At the UN Sustainable Development Summit, the world's oceans will be getting the attention they have long deserved -- but not always received, says Paula Caballero, Senior Director for the World Bank's Environment & Natural Resources Global Practice.
Land Degradation Costs the World Up to $10.6 trillion a Year, Report Says
(The Guardian)
September 15, 2015
More than half of the world’s arable land is moderately or severely degraded, according to a report published on by the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative. The report estimates the cost of this environmental destruction, not only from lost agricultural production and diminished livelihoods, but also from the lost value of ecosystem services formerly provided by the land, including water filtration, erosion prevention, nutrient cycling and the provision of clean air.
A Word of Caution When Valuing Natural Capital
(Natural Capital Initiative)
September 07, 2015
There is now a myriad of methodologies to measure natural capital and ecosystem services – so how do practitioners choose the right one?