Stories: People & Ecosystems

Indicators Needed to Illustrate Benefits from Ecosystems

Existing data and indicators inadequately measure the important benefits people derive from the services nature provides, according to a working paper released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Online Resource Puts Ecosystem Services Experts at Fingertips

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.

President Lula’s targeted vetoes to controversial but landmark legislation mark significant progress towards protecting the Amazon forest.

The Democratic Republic of Congo cancelled logging operation titles in 12 million hectares of tropical forest this year in an effort to promote sustainable, socially responsible forest management.

Ecosystem Services

Note: this post is a translation of the original article in Portuguese by Ana Carolina Addario, which appeared on Ideia Socioambiental. It is posted here with permission.

Greater meat consumption and demand for fossil fuels worldwide are expected to cause increasingly more harmful algal blooms and dead zones in coastal and freshwater areas.

Working Towards Greater Forest Sector Transparency in Gabon

The first-ever Interactive Forest Atlas for Gabon offers data and tools to support the sustainable management of Gabon’s forests.

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.

WRI and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development today released an updated online guide to help corporate buyers ensure the sustainability of their wood- and paper-based products.