Ecosystem Services and Corporate Sustainability: In Theory and Practice
Abstract
Ecosystem services are the flows of natural capital from the environment that benefit
economies and societies. They are essential for human health and well-being, and include
provisioning (food and genetic resources); regulating (pollination and climate control);
supporting (water and nutrient cycles); and cultural (heritage and recreation) services.
Despite their importance, ecosystem services have been undervalued in traditional
economic approaches, resulting in their unsustainable use and degradation.
Emerging research is changing this paradigm by quantifying the values of ecosystem
service flows, with the implications becoming especially relevant for corporations.
The complex interdependencies between ecosystems and business are beginning to be
more fully understood and managed, and members of the corporate sustainability community
are therefore recognizing the need to incorporate ecosystem service flows into sustainability
assessments and standards. This Master’s Project contributes to a better understanding
of why and how ecosystem services are increasingly considered in corporate sustainability,
both in theory and in practice. The results of a comprehensive literature review,
analysis of ecosystem services tools, and a survey of over eighty outdoor industry
companies suggest that ecosystem services theory is ahead of corporate sustainability
practice. Nonetheless, the findings also support emerging trends and demand for increased
corporate ecosystem valuation. Ecosystem services are therefore likely to be an increasingly
prominent consideration in emerging sustainability assessments and standards.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5225Citation
O'Shea, Tara (2012). Ecosystem Services and Corporate Sustainability: In Theory and Practice. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5225.Collections
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