16 September 2010
UNEP Releases TEEB Report for Local and Regional Policy Makers
story highlights

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) report highlights the role of local and regional policy makers in the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy.

9 September 2010: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced the release of the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) report for local and regional policy makers, which highlights that, since 70% of humanity’s ecological footprint is linked to resource consumption in cities, local governments can contribute to a transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.

Planned as an advisory tool for local and regional policy makers, administrators and managers, this report provides practical guidance on how to deal with the challenge of biodiversity loss at the local and regional level. The report calls on local policy makers to understand the value of natural capital and the services it provides and apply a focus on nature’s benefits in local policy areas such as urban management, spatial planning and protected areas management. It calls for local authorities to take a stepwise approach to assessing options that factor nature’s benefits into local policy action, including: assessing ecosystem services and expected changes in their availability and distribution; identifying which ecosystem services are most relevant to particular policy issues; and assessing impacts of policy options on different groups in the community. TEEB is an independent study hosted by UNEP with financial support from the European Commission and the Governments of Germany, the UK , the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. [UNEP Press Release] [The Report’s Website]

related posts