A hummingbird in the rainforest | by Billtacular  By Billtacular

Natural Economies

The world's ecosystems support the economic activity of human beings and contribute towards our well-being. It is vital that we support and protect them.

"Human beings have broken out of the circle of life, driven not by biological need, but by the social organization which they have devised to ‘conquer’ nature." - Barry Commoner, Ecologist

Protecting our ecosystems is about much more than conserving beautiful plants and animals: it's also about safeguarding human life. The world's ecosystems absorb our greenhouse gases, they provide us with food, they provide us with valuable natural resources and they contribute towards our well-being. When they fail, we fail too.

The rich industrialised world is currently living beyond the capacity of the Earth's ecosystems. We are consuming more than they can produce and polluting more than they can absorb. Ecosystems under stress can behave unpredictably, and even crash.

nef works to create economic policies that protect and support crucial ecosystems. We're carrying out research on environmental markets and finding a fair and sustainable price for carbon dioxide permits. We're also working to protect our oceans, particularly fisheries. And we'll be doing more work on how well-being is affected by the natural world.

Key facts

  1. 1
    Nearly a quarter of all mammals and a third of all amphibians are threatened with extinction.
  2. 2
    Coral reefs are worth $172 billion a year to the human economy, but they are on the verge of extinction
  3. 3
    Deforestation contributes to between 15 and 20% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

Projects

  • A boy pushes a bicycle past freight containers in Tanzania | by twocentsworth

    Interdependence

    Globalisation and over-consumption pushing the planet into ecological debt. Rich countries must consume less so that we can live within the limits of our ecological resources.

  • A shoal of fish

    Fisheries

    nef is working to transform the European Fisheries Policy in order stop overfishing and end destructive fishing practices.

  • The High Line in New York City

    The Great Transition

    Finding ways to survive and thrive through financial crises, climate change and the peak and decline of global oil production.

  • A leafy branch extends

    MA in Economics for Transition

    Study for an MA at Schumacher College, created in collaboration with nef and the Transition Network, and accredited by the University of Plymouth.

Publications