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Where's the profit in nature? Date: June 3, 2010

ASrIA Member

One study in 1997 estimated the value of all the functions performed by ecosystems at $33 trillion per year - substantially more than the entire world economy. But in most instances, functions such as purification of water and air, nutrient cycling in soil, or the resilience created by biodiversity don't have a clear economic value. A number of firms around the world see opportunity in monetizing those functions.

Biodiversity Banking

Workers carrying saws on long poles move through rows of perfectly spaced 30-foot-tall oil palm trees. They cut bunches of fruits, which will be processed into palm oil that in turn makes its way into countless foods, cosmetics, soaps, and industrial lubricants. The plantation on the Malaysian island of Borneo is dry, hot, and quiet, according to David Brand, founder of the investment management firm New Forests.

http://qn.som.yale.edu/article.php?issue_id=14&article_id=289