Stories: Ecosystem Services Approach for the Public Sector

Valuing Nature’s Assets: Business Accounts for Fresh Water, Biodiversity, Forests, Coral Reefs and Wetlands for Long-Term Viability and Profit

The earth’s diminishing natural and environmental resources are getting a new look from global business leaders – and not for the sake of philanthropy. Through new analytic approaches and tools that assess and value the fragile ecosystems virtually all businesses depend on, corporate leaders are beginning to understand that natural resources are as important to future profitability as interest rates or capital depreciation schedules.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and other leading international environmental organizations today launched the Ecosystem Services Experts Directory, a public online directory that allows journalists, business leaders, and governments to locate and contact specialists in ecosystem services.

Beijing achieved and largely exceeded the drinking water and waste-management goals it set as part of its bid for last summer’s Olympics, according to a new report.

WHAT:

Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) will host the first annual Ecosystem Services on Corporate Lands conference. Representatives of government, industry, conservation, and community groups will host panel discussions and workshops. These will explore how companies can reduce their costs, generate new revenue, and improve their reputation by managing ecosystems on lands they own. Other areas of discussion will include ecosystem services markets - such as water quality trading - that companies can take part in and regulatory information on habitat management.

Three key services provided by coral reefs and mangroves in Belize are worth an estimated US$395 million to US$559 million per year, according to a report released today by the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund.

Annual Economic Contribution of Coral Reefs and Mangroves in Belize

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a collaboration to deliver improved science and practical tools to help companies and governments protect ecosystems and address climate change.

Development and the environment have traditionally been managed separately, but a new report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) guides decision makers in how this can be reconciled to increase