During their 16-17 March 2007 meeting in Potsdam, Germany, Environment Ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) developed countries and five major developing countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa) called for a study to analyze the global economic benefit of biodiversity, the costs of biodiversity loss and the failure to take protective measures versus the costs of effective conservation.

The study will be modeled on the Stern Report estimating the economic costs of global warming.
Links to further information
AFP, 16 March 2007
Environment News Service, 16 March 2007
G8 Information Centre, reproduction of “The Potsdam Initiative: Biodiversity 2010”