From around the web

Philippine's National Economic and Development Authority, World Bank Partner to Assess Natural Capital Wealth

February 18, 2015

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the World Bank have partnered in a project that will assess the country’s wealth in terms of natural resources, an official of the World Bank said at a press briefing on February 18, 2015.

Philippines Bats for Ecosystem Accounting

February 18, 2015

The Philippine government reiterated its policy on sustainable development through ecosystem accounting, which seeks to balance the use of natural resources with the need to better manage them. In a session on Wednesday, February 18, policy advocates discussed the World Bank's Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES), a project spearheaded by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for the Philippines.

Mainstreaming the Value of Nature

February 17, 2015

On Feb. 23, 2015, Heather Tallis, Lead Scientist at The Nature Conservancy, will join a Yale panel to discuss how the global community can achieve badly needed standards for the science of ecosystem services. In an interview, she talks about how it can happen — and who should be involved.

5 Ways to Apply Natural Capital Valuation in Your Business

February 13, 2015

As a practitioner of natural capital valuation for over 14 years, Trucost has pioneered many approaches for corporations and financial institutions to apply it. One question Trucost is frequently asked is: “How can my company act on and apply natural capital valuation in day-to-day, practical operational decision-making?” Here are five suggestions to make natural capital valuation work for your business.

Botswana Leads on Capital Accounting

February 12, 2015

At a high-level sensitization breakfast meeting on WAVES in Gaborone on February 10th, Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr. Kgomotso Abi, said that Botswana is a leader in Africa on Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) and the country recognizes the impact of natural heritage in terms of the social and economic well-being of the nation.

Leaders for Nature India Forum Links Valuing Natural Capital to Future Prosperity

February 05, 2015

The first Leaders for Nature India Forum held on January 30, 2015 in Mumbai, India explored how natural capital accounting could help the private sector address some of the biggest challenges it is facing today in India and around the world.

Environment as Economic Threat: How Sustainability Redefines Risk

February 04, 2015

From evolving financial realities to targeted action on supply chains and corporate sustainability goals, the State of Green Business is very much in flux says this GreenBiz Group article. The authors say the reason there isn't more meaningful progress on sustainability has to do with the nexus between making money and degrading the environment.

Celebrating the Wealth of Wetlands

February 02, 2015

Every year, February 2nd marks "World Wetlands Day", commemorating the 1971 signing of the Ramsar Convention – an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. This year’s theme is "Wetlands for our Future", aiming to raise awareness among younger generations, and for all to reflect on the health and unique value of wetlands.

Can Business Learn to Speak the Language of Natural Capital?

January 29, 2015

There’s a language barrier wedged between our current economic system and the natural world. Most financial models value essential natural components such as water and air quality at zero, or “free”, when accounting for profits and losses. This makes it difficult for ecologists, policymakers and environmental groups to communicate the case for greater investment in protecting them.

Failing to Protect Nature's Capital Could Cost Businesses Trillions

January 28, 2015

Nature is like an angel investor in the global economy: financially significant, yet widely unknown. Often referred to as natural capital, nature’s infrastructure – forests, river basins, wetlands, coral reefs and so on – provides fundamental inputs to the production of all kinds of goods and services. Failing to account for natural capital is the quickest route to depleting the planet’s natural resources.

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