Economics as if life mattered: Can we shape economic policy to save species?

Symposium at ZSL London Zoo
25th of May, 2012

What does the global economy have to do with orangutans, spotted owls, and cod? Along with polar bears, elephants and countless other species, these animals are being driven to extinction and our

unsustainable economic system is the driving force. On the 25th of May, join conservation and economic experts to explore these links and develop strategies for prioritising wildlife conservation in the new economy. Economics as if life mattered will bring together Alejandro Nadal from the IUCN, Brian Czech, President of the Center for the
Advancement of the Steady State Economy, Green Economist Molly Scott Cato, and directors of Fauna & Flora International, Humane Society International, ZSL Conservation Programmes, Birdlife International and Scottish Wildlife Trust.

‘Human activities impacting biodiversity are almost invariably economic activities that transform habitats, pollute the environment, and have incidental effects such as climate change in a fossil-fueled economy… What

can we do about it? The place to start is macroeconomic policy, where economic growth should be supplanted by the steady state economy as the sustainable goal.’

–Brian Czech

In the context of the Occupy movement, Rio+20, and talk of building a ‘Green Economy,’ Economics as if life mattered will provide a timely forum for prioritising wildlife conservation in economic affairs. Presenters will challenge assumptions underpinning our economic system, posing questions and proposing solutions essential for the future of conservation. Topics will include: economic drivers of extinction, macroeconomic policy goals, alternative measures of progress, costs of unsustainable agriculture to wildlife, integrating conservation into EU policy, the merits of putting monetary values on ecosystem services, and the contentious issue of corporate partnerships.
Economics as if life mattered will be hosted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and organized by the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC), New Economics Foundation (NEF), and The Centre
for Social and

Economic Research on the Global Environment.

Full rate: £80
Students and ZSL Friends/Fellows: £40
Register online at http://www.zsl.org/science/events/economics-as-if-life-mattered-can-we-shape-economic-policy-to-save-species,580,EV.html