Investing in Nature: Case Studies of Land Conservation in Collaboration with Business - Softcover

Ginn, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1597260134 ISBN 13: 9781597260138

Publisher: Island Press, 2005

Synopsis

In 2004, U.S. consumers spent $5.2 billion purchasing bottled water while the government only invested 5 percent of that amount to purchase critical watersheds, parks, and wildlife refuges-systems vital to clean water and healthy environments. How can we reverse the direction of such powerful economic forces?

A group of dedicated business-people-turned-environmental-entrepreneurs is pioneering a new set of tools for land conservation deals and other market-based strategies. These pragmatic visionaries have already used these methods to protect millions of acres of land and to transform the practices of entire industries. They are transforming the very nature of conservation by making it profitable.

Drawing on his vast experience in both business and land conservation at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), William Ginn offers a practical guide to these innovative methods and a road map to the most effective way to implement them. From conservation investment banking, to emerging markets for nature's goods and services, to new tax incentives that encourage companies to do the "right" thing, Ginn goes beyond the theories to present real-world applications and strategies. And, just as importantly, he looks at the lessons learned from what has not worked, including his own failed efforts in Papua New Guinea and TNC's controversial compatible development approach in Virginia. In an era of dwindling public resources and scarce charitable dollars, these tools reveal a new, and perhaps the only, pathway to achieving biodiversity goals and protecting our lands.

Conservation professionals, students of land conservation, and entrepreneurs interested in green business will find Ginn's tales of high-finance deals involving vast tracts of pristine land both informative and exciting. More than just talk, Investing in Nature will teach you how to think big about land conservation.

About this title

About the Author

William Ginn is a businessman-turned-conservation practitioner who has helped The Nature Conservancy protect over 1.5 million acres of forestland through dozens of innovative deals. He is currently director of the Forest Conservation Program at The Nature Conservancy.

Review

"The global scale of current environmental challenges requires us to blend business savvy with conservation strategies. Investing in Nature shows what can be accomplished when entrepreneurs and conservationists collaborate to tackle some of the most difficult issues like climate change and sustainable development." --Henry M. Paulson, Jr

"With increasing pressure from development, land trusts will need to make new friends and find new approaches to protect natural areas before it is too late. Investing in Nature is a tool box loaded with powerful ways to engage business capital in the work of land conservation. If you are looking for creative, new ways to save land, read this book!" --Rand Wentworth

"Over the last forty years, one thing that has become clear is if we can line up environmental protection and economic incentives, we can make enormous progress. This book provides a blueprint for how to do that and thus should be read by everyone concerned with a strong economy and a clean environment." --William D. Ruckelshaus

Edition details

• Publisher: Island Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1597260134
• ISBN 13: 9781597260138
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 209