Get the science right to value nature »
An international group of scientists, industry representatives and policymakers wants to set guidelines for the science behind valuing nature. The group has published new guidelines in the latest edition of Science on how to value the benefits and services that nature provides, known as ecosystem services. The guidelines will help governments, policy-makers and business leaders make more informed decisions about major projects that impact ecosystems. "Recognising the value of ecosystem services and providing appropriate incentives to manage them has the power to transform our societies," said one of the authors, Professor Robert Costanza from Crawford School of Public Policy. "There is a complicated interconnection between human well-being and the functioning of ecosystems," said Professor Costanza. The guidelines are a set of six basic criteria for the underlying science behind projects that provide incentives (monetary or other) to protect, restore, or create ecosystem services. Various forms of payment for ecosystem services (PES) already exist around the world, such as the long-running Conservation Reserve Program in the United States, worth $1.8 billion annually, and the more recent $43 billion Grain for Green program in China.
