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Commonwealth
Forests | | |
 Trends
Despite what seems to be a long list of complex issues there is a growing interest in
environmental services and products. The obvious question is: Why? The relatively
straightforward answer is that while for decades people have tried to find non-market or
regulatory mechanisms to protect or enhance environmental services and products, the fact is
that many of these efforts have not been successful.
So environmental services markets have become mainstream in parts of countries like
Australia, the trends in many Commonwealth countries will be for an increase in their use as a
mechanism to manage for these services. It has a number of potential advantages:
1. the
transaction costs should be lower,
2. it allows new policy actors (e.g. industry, NGOs,
Foundations) to participate with traditional actors (levels of government and banks) in finding a
more acceptable solution to an environmental challenge
3. It allows for market rigour in terms
of accountability and transparency.
Forest industries are increasingly aware of these trends and are showing themselves to be
adept at recognizing opportunities that have both commercial and non-commercial values.
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