Ecosystem Services
Biodiversity must be built into urban development to make future cities sustainable
Thomas Elmqvist from the University of Stockholm warns that as an area the size of South Africa is expected to be lost to urbanisation, understanding the benefits of biodiversity will be vital.
Supermarkets in the sky – forests of the world in pictures
Rural communities depend on forests for food, medicine, water and a place to live. This photo gallery illustrates the variety of services rainforests in the Amazon and Congo provide
The role of forests in combating climate change
What are the main benefits of forests and how can they help deal with climate change?
Business focus: Mountain sports company Vaude explain how they’ve cut their carbon footprint
In the build-up to Rio+20 RTCC asked businesses from around the world to send us their stories. Today’s focus is how German clothing company VAUDE was able to measure and improve on its environmental impacts.
Response to George Monbiot: The valuation of nature and ecosystem services is not privatization
The idea of placing a value on the environment to encourage its protection has become increasingly popular, but critics say it amounts to little more than the privatisation.
Rio+20 Business Focus: Kenya, Madagascar and Cameroon focus on preserving life-giving African cherry tree
How the conservation and sustainable use of Prunus africana is improving the lives of small-scale farmers in Africa.
Planet’s “health” has declined since first Rio Earth Summit
Living Planet Index has declined 30% since 1970 as WWF calls for change of pace in the response at Rio+20.
Biodiversity loss impacts ecosystems as much as climate change
New research warns biodiversity protection could be as important as preventing climate change in protecting ecosystems.