How can markets better value nature and price the benefits of conservation?

The devastating effects of environmental degradation have intensified in recent decades, with a rapid decrease in biodiversity, the continuing destruction of many of our most valuable rainforests and natural habitats, and a steep increase in the number of endangered species. Many of these problems are expected to become worse with climate change, and they have substantially negative effects on our quality of life, our ability to provide enough food and water for our populations, and on public health. One driving cause of this environmental destruction is markets currently only attach value to natural assets when they are used (e.g., a rainforest’s value comes from cutting down and selling the trees)—conservation has no inherent value in the current system.

On May 16, the Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets (CRM) hosted an event to explore how the intrinsic value of nature could be better accounted for by economists and priced by markets. A panel of experts discussed innovative new ideas in this space like the concept of a natural asset company and other potential ways to use markets for the conservation of natural resources. The experts on the panel included Douglas Eger (Intrinsic Exchange Group), Kelly Shue (Yale School of Management), Pushpam Kumar (United Nations Environment Programme), Greta Talbot-Jones (Aviva Investors), and Rich Stockdale (Oxygen Conservation). The panel was moderated by CRM Director Sanjay Patnaik.

This event was a part of the CRM series on Reimagining Modern-day Markets and Regulations. Viewers joined the conversation and asked questions of the speakers by emailing [email protected] and on X/Twitter at @BrookingsEcon using the hashtag #ValuingNature.

Registration is required to attend an event in person and guests at Brookings are required to attest to their state of health before attending. Visitors may not enter the building if they are feeling ill for any reason, have any symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19, have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and do not yet meet the criteria to resume normal activities based on current CDC guidance, or have been advised by their healthcare professional or otherwise to not enter any space where some persons may not be vaccinated.