Economies can only prosper if they support and do not undermine the natural products and services that form the foundation of human well-being such as food, water, energy, and shelter.
IUCN helps guide market decisions and persuades policy makers that economic policies and markets should be reformed to support nature conservation. The Union also works to ensure that the impacts of economic decisions, trade and investment on biodiversity are considered, assessed and better managed.
- A critical first step in the transition to a green economy is demonstrating the economic significance of biodiversity and ecosystems.
An enhanced appreciation of the full value of nature will enable the necessary changes in both public and private policies to ensure that economic development is truly sustainable. The ongoing international study on The Ecosystems of Biodiversity and Ecosystems (TEEB), to which IUCN is central, is an essential step in enhancing our understanding of the links between the environment and the economy.
- Armed with its unique combination of scientific expertise and convening power, IUCN has a critical role to play in providing decision makers with the knowledge and tools needed to embark on the path towards a greener economy.
Knowledge generated through IUCN will be used to guide and encourage the adoption of effective and equitable incentives for conservation. IUCN plays a leading role in designing and testing innovative financing tools, such as payments for ecosystem services.
For more information, visit the IUCN Economics webpage.
- A crucial component of IUCN’s efforts to encourage more sustainable economic models is to encourage greater convergence between conservation and business interests.
IUCN is helping to develop sustainable enterprises and green markets that are able to simultaneously generate profits and conserve biodiversity. Through partnerships with leading businesses, IUCN is helping to set robust sustainability standards for a variety of industry sectors.
For more information, visit the IUCN Business and Biodiversity webpage.
- To bring about change at the scale needed for a global transition to a green economy, it is critical to reach beyond the environmental community.
Macroeconomic and development policies in general, and trade and investment policies in particular, will need to be adapted to better reflect biodiversity values. IUCN brings its environmental expertise to influence key policy platforms, such as the World Economic Forum, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the G20 Summits.
