USER GROUPS AND PROJECT PARTNERS
The ESVD is like a busy bee and we are assisting many different user groups, helping them to make nature count in decision-making. Below you will find the user groups and several stakeholders we collaborate with.
International Governmental Organisations
Organisations like FAO, ELD, UNEP (IPBES, TEEB), and UN-Conventions (e.g. CBD), and others are looking for data on the real societal costs of environmental problems as well as the economic benefits of investing in prevention, mitigation and adaptation. ESVD can provide that data.
Financial Institutions
To support the transition to a ‘greener economy’ the financial sector is crucial and we are discussing and working with several Dutch banks (e.g. ASN, DNB, Rabobank, Robeco) and the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO) how they can use the ESVD in their decision-making and risk management assessments for investments.
Governments
The concept of ecosystem services is increasingly used to come to a more balanced decision based on integrated cost-benefit analysis (i-CBA). Dutch and British ministries of environment (LNV, DEFRA) are supporting the further development of the ESVD as well as further knowledge dissemination through workshops, presentations, and trainings.
NGO's
An important task of NGO’s is to critically follow the actions of governments and their effects on the environment and human wellbeing and take the role as ‘frontrunner’ to implement new ideas into practice and show that it can work. The Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) is supporting this effort with the development of guidelines to analyse the ‘true’ societal costs and benefits of these investments.
The General Public
Through our partnership with NatureToday and the Capitals Coalition, the Ecosystem Services Partnership provides and develops an overview of practical user cases and short insights in the possibilities and experiences regarding the importance of natural capital to our wellbeing.
Business & Consultancy
Increasingly, the business community is willing to change their business model into a more sustainable direction and internalise the (negative and positive) externalities. Consultants, like Arcadis, KPMG, and others are developing separate tools to determine the ‘true costs’ of business activities to make an integrated, or social CBA.
Research & Academia
Many researchers and scholars are using the ESVD for a variety of purposes, ranging from literature review and impact assessments to methodological development of ecosystem services valuation and much more. In addition, the large exposure of the ESVD has led to several papers written by researchers, see here.
