Book Description Review Quotes Contents Resources Blogs
Book Description

Rapid economic development has been a boon to human well-being. It has lifted millions out of poverty, raised standards of living, and increased life expectancies. But economic development comes at a significant cost to natural capital—the fertile soils, forests, coastal marshes, farmland—that support all life on earth, including our own. The dilemma of our times is to figure out how to improve the human condition without destroying nature’s. If ecosystems collapse, so eventually will human civilization. One answer is inclusive green growth—the efficient use of natural resources. Inclusive green growth minimizes pollution and strengthens communities against natural disasters while reducing poverty through improved access to health, education, and services. Its genius lies in working with nature rather than against it.

Green Growth That Works is the first practical guide to bring together pragmatic finance and policy tools that can make investment in natural capital both attractive and commonplace. The authors present six mechanisms that demonstrate a range of approaches used around the globe to conserve and restore earth’s myriad ecosystems, including:

  • Government subsidies
  • Regulatory-driven mitigation
  • Voluntary conservation
  • Water funds
  • Market-based transactions
  • Bilateral and multilateral payments
Through a series of real-world case studies, the book addresses questions such as: How can we channel economic incentives to make conservation and restoration desirable? What approaches have worked best? How can governments, businesses, NGOs, and individuals work together successfully?

Pioneered by leading scholars from the Natural Capital Project, this valuable compendium of proven techniques can guide agencies and organizations eager to make green growth work anywhere in the world.
 


Review Quotes

"Impressively informative, exceptional in organization and presentation, Green Growth That Works: Natural Capital Policy and Finance Mechanisms Around the World is an extraordinary addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Business & Economics collections in general, and Environmental Economics supplemental studies reading lists in particular."
Midwest Book Review

"The book is a practical guide designed to show '…how policies and finance mechanisms have been implemented in the real world, across a diversity of contexts, in order to help secure and enhance natural capital and ecosystem service benefits on the pathway toward inclusive green growth'"
Electronic Green Journal

"Green Growth that Works is an excellent sourcebook of ideas and demonstrates that the acquisition of natural capital through inclusive and life-enhancing strategies is no longer theory but a real possibility. The writing is accessible, and reference lists at the end of each chapter can further guide readers who are unfamiliar with the philosophy and science of ecosystem assessment. This book should be added to the toolkit of anyone directly involved in natural resources policy."
Plant Science Bulletin

"This book helps to shift the narrative on biodiversity conservation from a purely environmental focus to a perspective that links conservation, inclusive green growth, and sustainable development. It shows the importance of setting targets that are clear, simple, and relevant to stakeholders from government, finance, and local communities."
Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank

"Green Growth That Works portrays visionary projects from around the world that demonstrate powerful outcomes of communities, governments, and financial institutions working with nature to develop infrastructure thoughtfully through pioneering plans, policies, and investments."
Jane Lubchenco, Distinguished University Professor, Oregon State University; former Administrator, NOAA

"This book's practical exploration of 'inclusive green growth' refutes the notion that a rising GDP is environmentally harmless. Communities and people everywhere are hungry for solutions that fuse economic, social, and environmental goals, and this book superbly fills that need."
James Gustave Speth, former Administrator, UN Development Programme

Contents

PART I. Introduction and Background
Chapter 1. The Case and Movement for Securing People and Nature  
Lisa Mandle, Zhiyun Ouyang, James Salzman, Ian Bateman, Carl Folke, Anne D. Guerry, Cong Li, Jie Li, Shuzhuo Li, Jianguo Liu, Stephen Polasky, Mary Ruckelshaus, Bhaskar Vira, Alvaro Umaña Quesada, Weihua Xu, Hua Zheng, and Gretchen C. Daily
Chapter 2. Scaling Pathways for Inclusive Green Growth
Mary Ruckelshaus, Gretchen Daily, Stuart Anstee, Katie Arkema, Onon Bayasgalan, Carter Brandon, Becky Chaplin-Kramer, Helen Crowley, Marcus Feldman, Annette Killmer, Cong Li, Jie Li, Shuzhuo Li, Michele Lemay, Jianguo Liu, Carl Obst, Zhiyun Ouyang, Steve Polasky, Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba, Samdanjigmed Tulganyam, Ray Victurine, Greg Watson, Weihua Xu, and Hua Zheng
Chapter 3. Amplifying Small Solutions for System-Wide Change
Eric F. Lambin, Jim Leape, and Kai Chan
Chapter 4. Collaborative Approaches to Biosphere Stewardship
Carl Folke, Beatrice E. Crona, Victor Galaz, Line J. Gordon, Lisen Schultz, and Henrik Österblom
Chapter 5. The “Five Ps”: Policy Instrument Choice for Inclusive Green Growth
James Salzman
 
PART II. Policy and Finance Mechanisms for Natural Capital, Ecosystem Services, and Livelihoods
Chapter 6. Government Payments
Lisa Mandle
Chapter 7. Regulatory Mechanisms
Lisa Mandle, Rick Thomas, and Craig Holland
Chapter 8. Voluntary Mechanisms
Lisa Mandle and Meg Symington
Chapter 9. Water Funds
Kate A Brauman, Rebecca Benner, Silvia Benitez, Leah Bremer, and Kari Vigerstøl
Chapter 10. Market-Based Mechanisms
Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer and Lisa Mandle
Box 10-1. The Forest Resilience Bond: Connecting Private Capital to Restoration Projects that Reduce Fire Risk and Provide Ecosystem Service Co-Benefits
Benjamin P. Bryant, Zachary Knight, Phil Saksa, and Nick Wobbrock
Chapter 11. Bilateral and Multilateral Mechanisms
Rick Thomas
 
PART III. Successful Experience in Inclusive Green Growth around the World
Chapter 12. China: Designing Policies to Enhance Ecosystem Services
Zhiyun Ouyang, Changsu Song, Christina Wong, Gretchen C. Daily, Jianguo Liu, James Salzman, Lingqiao Kong, Hua Zheng, and Cong Li
Chapter 13. Costa Rica: Bringing Natural Capital Values into the Mainstream
Alvaro Umaña Quesada
Chapter 14. United States: Blending Finance Mechanisms for Coastal Resilience and Climate Adaptation
Katie Arkema, Rick Bennett, Alyssa Dausman, and Len Materman
Chapter 15. United Kingdom: Paying for Ecosystem Services in the Public and Private Sectors
Ian Bateman, Amy Binner, Brett Day, Carlo Fezzi, Alex Rusby, Greg Smith, and Ruth Welters
Chapter 16. Caribbean: Implementing Successful Development Planning and Investment Strategies
Katie Arkema and Nicola Virgill-Rolle
Box 16-1. Valuing Nature in Myanmar as the Basis of Economic Development and Decision-Making
Hanna Helsingen, Nirmal Bhagabati and Sai Nay Won Myint
Chapter 17. Cities: Incorporating Natural Capital into Urban Planning
Perrine Hamel, François Mancebo, Clément Féger, and Stéphanie Hamel
 
Acknowledgements
Contributors
About the Editors
Index
 

Educator Resources

Download the annotated table of contents here or read it below.

 

Blogs

#ForewordFriday: What is inclusive green growth?

By Erica Sánchez Vázquez / On September 13th, 2019

Rapid economic development has been a boon to human well-being, but comes at a significant cost to the fertile soils, forests, coastal marshes, and farmland that support all life on earth. If ecosystems collapse, so eventually will human civilization. One solution is inclusive green growth—the efficient use of natural resources. Its genius lies in working with nature rather than against it.

Green Growth That Works is the first practical guide to bring together pragmatic finance and policy tools that can make investment in natural capital both attractive and commonplace. Pioneered by leading scholars from the Natural Capital Project, this valuable compendium of proven techniques can guide agencies and organizations eager to make green growth work anywhere in the world.

In this excerpt, the authors introduce important concepts in the book and provide an overview of the book's structure and content.

development
economics
#forewordFriday