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Many people are unaware of the speed at which we are using up our natural resources, and that we are producing waste far faster than it can be turned back into a useful resource. Green Week 2008 took a closer look at the sustainable use of natural resources, focusing on waste management, sustainable consumption and production.

Session on the value of biodiversity and ecosystems (2)

It is becoming clear that continuing with business as usual will lead to a significant decline in ecosystem services over the first half of this century. We risk irreparably harming the access of future generations to the services we have enjoyed for free if we fail to give ecosystems the attention they deserve and neglect their crucial importance for the economy. This session focused on the economic effects of global biodiversity loss, weighing up the cost of failure to take protective measures and the benefits of effective conservation.

Speakers:

• Mr Jochen Flasbarth, General Director, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety - " The value of biodiversity and ecosystems "

• Mr Pavan Sukhdev, Managing Director & Head - Global Markets, Deutsche Bank India, and Director, Green Accounting for Indian States Project (GAISP) of the Green Indian States Trust (GIST) - "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)"

• Mr Salman Hussain, Scottish Agricultural College - "The UK Marine Bill – Marine Nature Conservation Proposals - valuing the benefits"

Key messages from this session