Review of Future Energy Supply and Targets for Climate Change: The Idea of Ecosystem Services - Implementing Environmental and Resource Management - page 120

This follows from the observation that ecosystem services, as an integral part of
sustainable development have rarely been incorporated into planning and policy
formulation (Slootweg and Beukering 2008; MEA 2005b).
Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems and an
overview of relevant literature can be found at the MEA (2005a). Ecosystem ser-
vices can be understood as the benefits provided by the ecosystem in terms of
goods and services (MEA 2005b). That is the natural environment provides multi-
ple resources and processes that provide benefits to human beings; and these re-
sources and processes, which are linked to the physiochemical processes of the
natural environment (Albrechts 2008; Ranganathan et al. 2008), are collectively
known as ecosystem services (MEA 2005b). Examples of ecosystem services
evaluations are found in MEA (2005b). To date, ecosystem services have rarely
been used to translate the environment into social benefits (Slootweg and Beuker-
ing 2008).
In this paper, a conceptual argument for the potential of ecosystem services to
fight climate change and how their value can be harnessed and incorporated into
efforts for fighting climate change, is presented. This is possible if appropriate
value is given to them. The potential for ecosystem services shall be elucidated by
developing and presenting the linkage between climate change and ecosystem ser-
vices. Furthermore, how business developments based on ecosystem services can
provide a more sustainable approach to climate change mitigation is clarified. This
approach can be both financially and environmentally beneficial in ecosystems
with high natural potential for carbon sequestration, for example tropical rainfor-
ests, peat bogs, marshlands, permafrost forests (Slootweg and Beukering 2008;
Schulze and Freibauer 2005). Direct valuation of ecosystem services has been sug-
gested as a means of facilitating the formulation of sustainable plans, polices and
projects within the context of well-informed strategic decisions-making (MEA
2005b). This is because decision-makers will explicitly recognize the value of eco-
system services and make more transparent the trade-offs between competing eco-
nomic, social, political and cultural interests. The already existing trade in carbon
finance is such an example where a price is being set to capture the costs of carbon
clean-up by our ecosystem services (see World Bank 2010). This paper has mainly
relied on the projections indicated in the 2008 World Energy Outlook (IEA 2008).
The current world market energy supply trends show that the highest capacity
is coming from non-renewable sources (CDIAC 2008; IEA 2007). Non-renewable
energy sources cause carbon emissions to the atmosphere leading to global warm-
ing and climate change (EPI 2010; ESRL 2010). Worldwide, fossil fuels such as
oil, gas and coal continue to dominate the energy mix, in which the use of coal is
set to grow most rapidly, driven largely by demand in the power-sectors (EIA
2008; IEA 2007). These trends lead to an expected continuous growth in global
energy-related emission of carbon- dioxide (CO 2 ) equivalent from about 27 billion
tonnes in 2005 to an estimated 42 billion tonnes by the year 2030, representing a
rise of about 57% (IEA 2008). At the same time, the use of renewable energy and
cleaner energy technologies is currently growing rapidly. This is accompanied by
falling costs as renewables and clean technologies mature; and carries an inherent
assumption of higher relative prices for fossil-fuel (EIA 2010). Plans, policies and