Rio+20 (14/06/2012) –  Andy Seidl from the Global Economics and Environment Programme at IUCN explains the use of techniques put in place to level the playing field for environmental and social values to compete on the market.

He says many things – those that we eat and consume – already do well in the market place but those with broader values, some of which are very valuable to our lives, do less well – for example water quality, cultural values and health.

The underlying feeling is that communities who provide values to the global society should be compensated for their stewardship of these natural values. In a similar way that REDD+ compensates communities who protect their forests and store more carbon, Seidl believes similar schemes should begin to be considered to not only for carbon but also more broadly for landscapes, habitats and biodiversity more widely.