All Articles About Ecosystem Services

BSR Insight Article: New Report Urges Policymakers to Protect Ecosystems

Linda Hwang, Former Manager, Research

According to a new report from The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative, policymakers can increase economic returns, jobs, and livelihoods by investing in ecological infrastructure; integrating ecosystem services values into price signals; and creating adequate institutions, regulatory frameworks, and financing opportunities to protect ecosystems. Read more →

Posted: November 24, 2009 | Topics: Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Environment, Investor Perspective, Strategy & Integration, Water

BSR Insight Article: Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation

Imagine that when you buy a pair of jeans you’re offered an agreement to sign before you pay: “I hereby promise to cold-wash, line-dry this clothing item, and own it for at least three years or ensure it is given away for someone else to enjoy.” When you sign, you are rewarded instantly with a coupon for cash back. The rebate is the estimated financial value of the carbon-dioxide emissions you save by avoiding hot-water washing, and by machine drying your jeans over the lifespan of the item. The clothing company is able to provide this discount by aggregating its consumers’ carbon credits and selling them on the open market. This model provides financial incentives for both the clothing company and the consumer to alter behavior. Read more →

Posted: November 3, 2009 | Topics: Consumer Products, Ecosystem Services, Environment, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Information & Communications Technology, Materiality, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Strategy & Integration, Water

BSR Insight Article: Moving Toward an Ecosystem Approach to Natural Resources Management

Linda Hwang, Former Manager, Research

As we prepare for the Copenhagen climate negotiations, there is a parallel discussion about the need for an "ecosystem approach" that includes ecological restoration and biological conservation to counter the loss of ecosystem services caused by climate change. Ecosystem services—the collective benefits, such as clean water, that people obtain from healthy, functioning ecosystems—represent a new development in the relationship between society and nature. Read more →

Posted: September 29, 2009 | Topics: Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Environment

BSR Insight Article: Hero for Troubled Waters: A Q&A with Sylvia Earle

Interview with Sylvia Earle by Eva Dienel, Communications Manager, BSR

The ringtone for renowned ocean explorer Sylvia Earle’s royal blue mobile phone is the hollow ping of a sonar device, a constant but unnecessary reminder to its owner that the world is mostly ocean, what Earle calls our planet’s “life-support system.” Earle, a 2009 TED Prize winner who will be speaking at the BSR Conference 2009, recently sat down to talk with us about her new book, The World Is Blue (released today by National Geographic Books), and why business should put nature—and especially the world’s water resources—on the balance sheet. Read more →

Posted: September 29, 2009 | Topics: Ecosystem Services, Energy, Environment, Strategy & Integration, Travel & Tourism, Water

Report: Supplementary Materials for Future Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance

Sissel Waage, Director, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Read more →

Posted: February 23, 2009 | Topics: Ecosystem Services, Environment, Land Use & Biodiversity | Download (PDF)