Study Shows Investing in Nature More Valuable than Gold (Literally)

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by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.13.09

If 'moral prerogative' isn't reason enough to invest in protecting nature, here's another one: it's just been found to bring up to hundredfold return on capital. Yes, that's a potential 10000% gain--better than an investment in gold. According to a new study called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), putting money into protecting wetlands, coral reefs, and forests could be the best financial move one could ever make.



A Valuable Investment: Preserving 'Ecosystem Services'
The BBC reports that this is the first such comprehensive study aimed at evaluating what they term "ecosystem services", or the "things that parts of the natural world do for free, such as purifying drinking water or protecting coasts from storms - on a systematic and global basis."

TEEB involved rounding up over 1,100 studies done on ecosystems around the world, and analyzing the distinct ecosystem services they each offer. The conclusion? Well, as the study's leader, Deutsche Bank economist Pavan Sukhdev says: "with protected areas, for example, no matter how you slice the figures up you come up with a ratio of benefits to costs that's between 25-to-one and 100-to-one."

That's what you call a sound investment.

This is truly fascinating news. The report looks into the distinct, tangible financial gains investors stand to make--which is, as we all know, a far more compelling incentive to attract widespread interest in the causes. However, the primary aim of the study is to grab the attention of policymakers, in hopes that they may be persuaded to invest in conservation as well.

more:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/investing-nature-conservation-bring-100-capital-returns.php

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1. Common sense that would never ever occur to the Corporate

unless they could charge for it. Thanks for posting. K & R