Organizer: Bernd Hansjürgens, Co-Organizer: Nele Lienhoop
Moderation: Nele Lienhoop

An important prerequisite for reversing biodiversity loss is illuminating the value of nature and incorporating biodiversity values in decision-making. However, identifying the “true” value of biodiversity and ecosystem services is challenging. 

Particularly in economics, there have been several attempts to develop and improve methods for an economic valuation. However, the underlying methods are partly criticized and economic approaches have been rejected.

Against this background, the session focuses on biodiversity values, economic approaches and limitations. Both conceptual and methodological as well as issues of application and implementation will be presented and discussed.

Chairperson: Bernd Hansjürgens (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ)

Speakers: 

Martin Quaas (University of Leipzig, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany) –

“Concepts and Applications of Valuing Natural Capital”

Jasper Kenter (Aberystwyth Business School, Aberystwyth University, Great Britain) – “Towards a relational economics of biodiversity”

Lennart Stein (University of Greifswald, Germany) – “Increasing biodiversity through true cost accounting for food”

Annike Eylering (Osnabrück University, Germany) – “Perceptions of biodiversity loss matter!?”