Time to Tap Climate Change-Combating Potential of the World’s Ecosystems, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Release Date: 2009-09-02

Inaction Already Threatening Multi-Billion Dollar Coral Reef Services and Livelihoods of Half a Billion People

Investing in restoration and maintenance of the Earth’s multi-trillion dollar ecosystems - from forests and mangroves to wetlands and river basins - can have a key role in countering climate change and climate-proofing vulnerable economies.

This is among the central findings of a new climate issues update by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), a project launched by Germany and the European Commission in response to a proposal by the G8+5 Environment Ministers (Potsdam, Germany 2007) to develop a global study on the economics of biodiversity loss. The study is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme. The issues update was launched today by TEEB study leader Pavan Sukhdev, with German Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel; Director-General for Environment, European Commission, Karl Falkenberg; and UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner.

It says the planet’s biological diversity and 'ecological infrastructure' are increasingly being put at risk from the impact of climbing greenhouse gases.

Yet natural systems represent one of the biggest untapped allies against the greatest challenge of this generation, says the paper, part of a stream of work towards a final study in 2010.

Type:	NORMAL
Company:	Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Country:	Germany