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SAC Hosts Economists Preparing For UN Biodiversity Conference In Japan
Salman Hussain (top left) with the TEEB D2 group in Edinburgh (opens in new window)
Economist Salman Hussain of SAC’s Land Economy and Environment Research Group recently hosted a week long project meeting in Edinburgh preparing a submission to a major UN Biodiversity Conference in the Japanese city of Nagoya during October.
2010 has been declared the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity and TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) is a UN Environment Programme intended to have the same impact with respect to the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity as the Stern Review had for climate change. In other words it highlights the potential losses we would suffer were we to pursue “Business As Usual” and the potential benefits of policies to conserve ecosystems and biodiversity.
TEEB has been cited as a key element in the Scottish Government’s new five-year research programme. The project aims to show how economic methodologies can and have been used to conserve ecosystems and biodiversity. Salman Hussain’s work involves research linking the outputs of bio-physical modelling to economics by attempting to place a monetary value on different global policy options. These options include the liberalisation of international trade, changes to forestry practices and the extension of Protected Areas.
Attending the Edinburgh meeting were members of the TEEB D2 Group coming from India, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Portugal. They were finalising revisions to a report targeted at regional government, mayors, councillors, town planners etc. An important part of the work is a stakeholder review to ensure the report will be useful to its intended target audience and, with this in mind, Salman and a core team had fruitful discussions about the application of an ”ecosystems approach” with the Scottish Government at Victoria Quay in a meeting hosted by Kevin Brady, Economic Advisor for Rural and Environment Analytical Services, and attended by stakeholders from the Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.