FW: Ethical Investor Newsletter No. 441: Positive link between the environment and economies defined by recent reports 27/06/2014 WG comment on article below: Very sound advice. The impact assessment & planning process needs updating to include valuing natural capital. The current approach to assessing the economic value of mining and energy projects is outmoded and urgently needs to price environmental commodities, eg water (valuable asset), carbon emissions (high risk pollutant), etc. By Ross Kendall on June 26, 2014 Protecting the environment will underpin economic strength according to reports by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and the Future Economy Group Climate change was both an environmental and an economic issue according to Stephen Martin, CEDA chief executive, who was speaking at the launch of a new report: The Economics of Climate Change. Australia access to capital to fund its infrastructure and other critical needs would be adversely affected by a poor response to climate change Martin said. “Australia is reliant on foreign capital to fund major projects and new developments in international climate change policy are likely to impact international capital flow and investment decision making,” Martin said. “Applying climate-related risk assessments when considering investment and financing decisions is an emerging trend globally. This trend is likely to have consequences for nationally significant industries in Australia, such as the resources sector, and associated asset values,” he said. Extreme weather events from climate change would also have economic and social impacts on Australia’s production capacity he said. Another report released last week by the Future Economy Group showed that Victoria could create 225,000 new jobs and boost the economy by 22 per cent over the coming 15 years through protecting the state’s natural assets. Bringing Victoria’s Economy into the 21st Century was commissioned by The Future Economy Group*, a coalition of businesses including Rowan Dowland from bankmecu. “This cutting edge research shows that the Victorian economy and the health of our natural capital are inextricably linked. We do not need to choose between looking after nature or the economy, but rather decisions to restore our natural capital will lead to better outcomes for the Victorian economy,” Dowland said. The report recommended business leaders and government account for the value of Victoria’s natural capital by measuring and accounting for the contribution of the environment to production. *Australian Ethical Investments, the publisher of Ethical Investor newsletter, is a foundation member of the Future Economy Group.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 02:01:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015