Articles
Protecting global biodiversity will take more than 'small change'
Pavan Sukhdev | The Guardian | October 2012
Huge funds are needed to meet biodiversity targets and as nations commit to double current funding, Pavan Sukhdev reflects on whether this is enough. Citing Bhutan’s example he writes - biodiversity is abundant and healthy in Bhutan, but rather than spend billions, respect for nature is ingrained in the culture and history of the land helping in achieving constitutional commitment of 60% forest cover.
Importance of green accounting
Pavan Sukhdev and Justine Leigh-Bell | Business Line | June 2012
This article highlights how the double-digit GDP fixation is threatening India’s biodiversity and, ironically, its long-term growth and security. It emphasises on the need for better macroeconomic and societal indicators to reflect the contribution of biodiversity and ecosystem services to human well-being.
Pavan Sukhdev and Clement Feger | November 2011
Over the last 20 years, the Indian economy, driven by a reforms programme that has focused on building industry and infrastructure, has grown at an enviable pace. Progress, however, has come at the expense of the environment. Keeping the environment subordinate to overall economic success does not pay in the long run and countries will find that it is impossible to maintain growth while the environment threatens to collapse.
The capitalist environmentalist and the price of nature
Pavan Suhkdev| The Irish Times | August 2011
Confusing capital with money and failing to recognise the economic value of natural capital has led to unsustainable ways of development with dramatic environmental and societal impacts. This article introduces the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative, a widely accepted framework to help value the unaccounted natural goods and services.
Pavan Sukhdev| The Guardian | July 2011
Economics is not just about markets. Nature and human capitals must be valued for the public goods and services they provide. A three-dimensional capitalism, paying as much scrutiny to natural and human capitals as to physical capital, is needed.
The tree of life bears costly fruit
Pavan Sukhdev and Clement Feger |Tehelka | June 2011
India should take lead in implementing the Green GDP concept because while the country’s GDP steadily increases, so is India’s loss of natural areas, its ecosystem degradation and the related problems of increasing freshwater scarcity, increasing soil erosion, declining water and soil quality and biodiversity losses
The sum of trees is less than the forests
Pavan Sukhdev and Clement Feger |Hindustan Times | June 2011
Forests ecosystems provide multiple benefits to society and the economy, however, these “ecosystem services” are too often taken for granted by those who use them daily, and therefore decline at an alarming rate. Very little money is invested in its conservation compared to what is spent for other components of the nation’s development such as mining, energy, industries etc.
Pavan Sukhdev | Corporate Knights| June 2011
Economic and environmental disasters are looming ahead if the ongoing loss of natural resources continues to be unaddressed. Greenhouse gas emissions, water extraction and air pollution are externalities that must be taken into account. As the idea of including natural capital into economics is making its way, commencing with the greening of national accounts.
I-TEEB consultation workshop aims at conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
Aastha Kukreti| Delhi Greens | February 2011
A two days stakeholder consultation held in order to develop the framework for strengthening biodiversity conservation programs and initiating action for assessing the economic value of India’s natural capital.
Naren Karunakaran| The Economic Times| November 2010
Neo-classical economists do not see that man-made production is not the only form of capital. Pavan Sukhdev deems it sacrilege not to account for natural capital received by the Poor, which is so pivotal for tackling poverty, and which all the more cannot be replenished once depleted. Time is for the calculation and valuation of a ‘GDP of the Poor’, concept particularly relevant for developing countries.
India and Brazil head move to ‘green’ economic future
Pavan Sukhdev| BBC news | October 2010
The Indian and Brazilian governments are among those keen on taking the economic value of nature into account in policy-making and on using findings from the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) project to green their national accounts. The politics of conservation is on its way towards international recognition but more is needed for this vision to be endorsed.
Putting a value on Nature could set scene for true green economy
Pavan Sukhdev| The Guardian | February 2010
Much environmental damage has been done by the way business is done. We are not using the right economic models to measure the costs of natural losses. If economics is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. Let us make a new compass to set the stage for a new green economy.
Sanjeev Sanyal| The Times of India | February 2009
The world is reeling from two major crises, the financial/economic crisis and the crisis of climate change and ecological collapse. Both are a result of the same human error, a colossal misallocation of resources, financial capital in one case and natural capital on the other.
Missing the ‘should’ for the trees
Pavan Sukhdev| The Indian Express | February 2005
The draft Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) bill proposes to give land rights to tribes living in India’s dwindling forests. This bill however, has been strongly opposed by conservationists who feel that this will seriously jeopardise our remaining forest cover. This article, proposes an alternative that aims to satisfy both parties