Events

TEEB Conference 2012

Mainstreaming the Economics of Nature: Challenges for Science and Implementation

19 - 22 March 2012
Leipzig, Germany

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is a major international initiative which aims to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity, to highlight the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and to draw together action-oriented expertise from the fields of science, economics and policy.

Within TEEB, several user-oriented reports have explored the link between economics, biodiversity and ecosystem services, providing guidance for decisions at the international, national and local levels. Issued in 2010, the TEEB reports were met with great enthusiasm. A considerable number of local, regional and national initiatives followed, developing the study’s approach further, and adapting it to local conditions and new challenges.

The Leipzig TEEB Conference 2012 took stock of these developments, catalysed the still growing interest in the topic and strengthened the link between policy and research. TEEB invited the research and policy community to Leipzig, Germany, to discuss state-of-the art developments in Environmental Valuation, Ecosystem Services and Science-Policy Processes. Conference participants had the possibility to discuss and update the findings of the TEEB study and contribute with their own findings, experiences and approaches to a new understanding of the link between economics, decision-making and the environment.