Debating Nature's Value

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Introduction

   • Victor Anderson

   Pages 1-4

3. Natural Capital and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

   • Lenke Balint, Aled Jones

   Pages 5-15

4. A Micro ‘Case Study’: Critiquing the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity

   • Rupert Read, Tom Greaves

   Pages 17-23

5. The Natural Capital Protocol

   • Samir Whitaker

   Pages 25-38

6. Debating Nature’s Value: The Role of Monetary Valuation

   • Rob Tinch

   Pages 39-47

7. Is the Concept of ‘Natural Capital’ Useful?

   • Tom H. Oliver

   Pages 49-54

8. How Should We Value Nature?

   • Sandra Bell

   Pages 55-60

9. Natural Capital: The Risks of Losing Sight of Nature

   • Rebecca Clark

   Pages 61-67

10. Some Difficulties of Measurement

    • Victor Anderson

    Pages 69-73

11. Who Should Value Nature?

    • Dario Kenner

    Pages 75-88

12. ‘Natural Capital’: Ontology or Analogy?

    • Jenneth Parker

    Pages 89-101

13. ‘Natural Capital’ and the Tragedy of Environmental Value

    • John Foster

    Pages 103-116

14. The Role of “Natural Capital” in the Debate About Biodiversity

    • Victor Anderson

    Pages 117-124

15. Back Matter

    Pages 125-126

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The concept of 'Natural Capital' has come to play a central role in current debates about biodiversity and nature conservation. It implies an approach to the natural world based on the valuation of places and species in terms of money. This is, in a variety of ways, both attractive and problematic. 

This edited collection comprehensively discusses the issues raised by the concept of 'Natural Capital', with contributors presenting not only arguments for and against the widespread adoption of the idea, but also viewpoints arguing for nuanced, pragmatic and middle-ground positions.

• Natural Capital
• Natural resource economics
• Environmental economics
• Conservation biology
• Global sustainability
• Monetary value of Natural Capital
• Economics of nature conservation
• Ecosystem services
• Monetisation of biodiversity
• Eco-philosophy
• Biodiversity offsetting
• Net Environmental Gain
• Economics of land use change
• Climate economics
• natural resources and energy economics

“In this edited collection, Anderson (Anglia Ruskin Univ., UK) explains the controversial nature of natural capital and shows how different contributors approach the issues raised by the use and implications of this concept. … Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.” (R. M. Ramazani, Choice, Vol. 56 (12), August 2019)

• Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK

  Victor Anderson

Victor Anderson is Visiting Professor at the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, UK. Previously he was an economist for the UK Sustainable Development Commission and the World Wildlife Fund.

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