Designing Markets for Ecosystem Services Delivery (Eco-Delivery)

The economy and environment are two interconnected systems.  On the one hand, economic activity puts pressure on environmental quality.  On the other hand, the environment is a direct source of human well-being, as well as providing resources for economic activity.  The economy-environment relationship is currently out of balance, most noticeably through human-induced climate change and global biodiversity loss.  Studying the rebalancing of the economy-environment relationship is therefore timely in view of the current intertwined economic and environmental crisis.  The Eco-Delivery project will contribute to an improved understanding of this rebalancing by concentrating on mechanisms for improving the delivery of ecosystem services.  The fundamental question that will be addressed is how to both effectively and efficiently increase the supply of eco-system services from private land using market-based instruments.  The project will concentrate on two of the most important terrestrial ecosystems in Europe: wetlands and forests.