Mon, Jun 18, 2012 -
Rio de Janeiro, 18 June 2012 - Incorporating
the value of nature into policy and development
decisions to reduce poverty and enhance
social equity is critical for the transition
to a green economy, according to biodiversity
and business leaders attending the International
Society for Ecological Economics Bi-annual
Conference's TEEB Day.
The Economics of Ecosystems
and Biodiversity (TEEB) is a global initiative
focused on drawing attention to the economic
benefits of biodiversity. It highlights
the cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem
degradation and compiles expertise from
ecology, economics and development to support
the mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem
considerations into policy making.
Further Resources
UN Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20)"By continuing to ignore the
wide range of services nature provides -
from food and clean water to medicine and
climate regulation - policymakers, business
leaders and communities are threatening
the very human welfare and livelihoods they
hope to protect," said Pavan Sukhdev,
United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill
Ambassador and TEEB Study Leader.
"For it is often
the poor, particularly in developing countries,
who depend upon these services the most,"
he added.
Biodiversity and business
leaders from around the word, including
Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD
Executive Secretary, and Jochen Zeitz, CEO
of Sport & Lifestyle division and CSO,
PPR and Chairman of the Board, PUMA and
TEEB Advisory Board member, were some of
the keynote speakers at the ISEE's TEEB
Day where the new TEEB summary report, highlighting
the role of nature in the transition to
a green economy, and the benefits that can
be realized by all, was presented.
Timed to coincide with
the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20), the ISEE conference
high level speakers focused on influencing
decision making amongst various stakeholders
and highlighting how valuing nature and
its services is essential in enhancing sustainable
development and reducing poverty.
A clear example of a
TEEB project valuing nature and directly
reducing rates of poverty can be found in
India in a small community called Hiware
Bazaar. In this small village in the eastern
state of Maharashtra, the degradation of
local ecosystems including water sources
had resulted in the a decrease in land productivity,
as well as rampant poverty and high unemployment
as traditional farmers could no longer make
a living off the land.
The local government
decided to regenerate degraded village forests,
water catchments and to restore watershed
ecosystems. As a result, many wells in the
village began collecting enough water to
increase irrigation. According to a survey,
the number of families living below the
poverty line fell from 168 to 53 in a span
of three years after the
project was initiated.
In the week before Heads
of State gather at the Rio+20 conference,
government and business leaders are meeting
to discuss key issues related to the economic,
social and environmental aspects of sustainable
development. Within the framework of this
year's overarching conference theme - 'Green
economy in the context of sustainable development
and poverty eradication' - the value of
nature has been highlighted as a priority
issue in a variety of programs and agendas.
The idea behind valuing
nature is a critical part of any transition
to a green economy, defined by UNEP as "one
that results in improved human well-being
and social equity, while significantly reducing
environmental risks and ecological scarcities".
The concept is largely
human-focused with the view that conserving
nature in turn sustains its valuable services
to societies, thereby enhancing opportunities
to improve human welfare.
Today, however, recognizing
the value of nature and the services it
provides to human welfare is a practice
largely nonexistent in policy- and decision-making
systems around the world.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-secretary
General and UNEP executive director,
said: "In a world
fascinated by the ups and downs of GDP,
valuing nature represents one of tipping
the balance from damage and degradation
towards rehabilitation, restoration and
sustainable management of the world's nature
based assets."
Mr Sukhdev, emphasized
this point, adding "biodiversity is
not just a luxury for the rich, it is a
necessity for the poor."
The link between nature
and poverty is undeniably strong yet virtually
absent from current government decision-making.
The TEEB initiative
seeks to rectify this by demonstrating nature's
benefits to society with respect to human
welfare, poverty alleviation and social
equity, while reflecting those values within
sustainable, just and equitable government
policies, business decisions and consumer
choices.
Above all, TEEB promotes
valuing nature in a way that will give it
a voice in economic and policy discussions.
Valuing nature, which guides decision-making
toward being more sustainable and socially
inclusive, is distinctly different from
putting a price on nature, which is geared
toward creating markets and generating private
profit.
Whereas recognizing
the value of nature and its services will
lead to more sustainable, just and equitable
policies, decisions and choices, the commodification
of nature does not improve (and frequently
worsens) conditions of poverty and social
inequity.
After almost 10 years,
local tribes in Papua New Guinea were awarded
record
compensation, in a landmark
court case, for damage to their forests
caused by illegal logging by a private company.
Local communities depend on the forest numerous
ecosystem services including for housing,
food, medicines, fuels, weapons, tools,
textiles, and cultural rituals.
The amount of compensation
was recommended by experts estimating the
full cost of damage including all ecosystem
services of the forest. "This
result has worldwide
implications" said Dr. Ian Curtis,
a land and ecological economist who wrote
the damage report. "Timber is only
one of the 20 services provided by forest."
In 2011, this groundbreaking
judgment was the first to include ecosystem
services in the compensation calculation.
The National Court of PNG has awarded a
total claims over 1.5 times higher than
the value of timber extracted or destroyed
by the logging company.
Valuing nature clearly
has development and social benefits and
there is also a strong business case for
incorporating the value of nature and biodiversity
into corporate risk and benefit analyses.
As the keynote speaker
at the Financial Times ArcelorMittal Boldness
in Business Awards in 2011 Jochen Zeitz,
Chairman of the Board for PUMA and Chief
Sustainability Officer of PPR said:
"Knowing what we
know today, it doesn't take rocket science
and boldness to recognize that a sustainable
business from an economic, social and environmental
point of view is not only a responsibility
and non negotiable but that it offers all
of us an opportunity as well."
Mr Zeitz also said "Analysing
a company's environmental impact through
an Environmental Profit & Loss Account
and understanding where environmental measures
are necessary will not only help conserve
the benefits of ecosystem services but also
ensure the longevity of our businesses."
The new TEEB summary
report highlighting the role of nature in
the transition to a green economy, and the
benefits that can be realized by all, is
thus a timely contribution to the discussions
underway for the Rio+20 Summit on 20-22
June and is available for comment from the
TEEB website.
As TEEB Advisory Board
member, Edward Barbier has noted,
"We use nature
because it is valuable. We lose nature because
it is free."
Ends
Further information
about TEEB, the TEEB day and the TEEB Nature
and Green
economy report can be found in the attached
press pack.
