Biodiversity Conservation, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development

Abstract

A growing economy has long been regarded as important for social and economic progress. And indeed, much of what we value in society is the product of economic growth. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that growth cannot continue forever and that there is a price to pay for our failure to chart a more sustainable path. This chapter examines the conflict between our global obsession with growth and the conservation of biological diversity. The chapter begins with a discussion of what growth means and why it is the focus of global economic policy. We then review the connection between economic growth, sustainable development and the conservation of biological diversity and examine issues surrounding the quest for sustainable development, including how growth is measured and why there is a need to develop alternatives measures of growth and alternatives to a focus on perpetual growth. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role that economic incentives can play in helping to catalyze necessary change and the importance of a commitment to cost-effectiveness in the choice of policies to promote conservation action.