Natural Capital Incentives

Summary

This project sought to show that the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection is artificial and unproductive. Canada West Foundation wanted to enliven a more productive policy debate by getting past this simplistic view, particularly as it pertains to Land Use policy. The goal of this project was to encourage, through incentives-based policy, the maintenance and enhancement of natural capital assets.

Grant Outputs

What’s in it for me? Exploring Natural Capital Incentives – http://cwf.ca/pdf-docs/publications/August2005-What’s-in-it-for-me-Exploring-Natural-Capital-Incentives.pdf

This report draws attention to the importance of natural capital and argues for greater recognition of natural capital in public policy discussions in western Canada. Natural capital includes the land and water resources that enhance quality of life and support economic activity such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, and recreation. It also includes resources such as minerals, timber, and oil and gas as well as the living ecosystems—grasslands, wetlands, oceans, and forests—that produce extremely valuable ecological goods and services (e.g., water filtration and nutrient production in soils). This report advocates for the use of incentives to enhance investment in natural capital. It examines the rationale for using incentives, exploring the range of incentives available, and providing a set of public policy recommendations regarding the design, use, and implementation of incentives.