Protecting the Environment, Privately

Most volumes in the environmental economics literature consider the environment to be a public good and hence write out a role for the private sector in a source of supply. Yet there is ample evidence of the private sector being involved, driven both by profit and altruism. This book provides the necessary conceptual base for the inclusion of the private sector in the environmental protection supply equation and deliver an extensive set of examples in a wide range of contexts. In an economic climate where governments are attempting to reduce expenditures, the increased role for the private sector will be readily embraced by policy makers.

The aim of the book is to establish the principles of markets in the provision of environmental protection and to provide an extensive experience-based set of contexts in which the private sector has acted to enhance the supply of environmental goods and services. These contexts include both pure-private sector initiatives in terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems and public-private sector ‘joint initiatives’ such as payment for environmental services (PES) schemes.

Contents:

• The Principles and Practice of Protecting the Environment Privately (Jeff Bennett)
• Dynamic Ecology and Dynamic Markets: The Role of Environmental Entrepreneurs (Terry L Anderson and Lawrence R Watson)
• Protected Areas: Public, Private or Partnerships (Jeff Bennett)
• Promoting Green Growth in Fisheries (R Quentin Grafton, Kathleen Segerson and Dale Squires)
• Markets for Biodiversity (Michael't Sas-Rolfes)
• Non-Government Provision of Environmental Water: A Case from the Murray–Darling Basin (Sue O'Keefe and Lin Crase)
• Private Sector Protection of Cultural Heritage (Ken Willis)
• Can Food Markets Result in Environmental Benefits? (Wendy Umberger, Sven Anders and Ellen Goddard)
• Payments for Environmental Services (PES) Schemes (Gabriela Scheufele)
• Exploring Private Roles in Environmental Watering in Australia and the US (Dustin Garrick and Erin O'Donnell)
• Additional Parties in Environmental Markets: Motivation, Operation and Future (Anthea Coggan)
• Using Auctions for Conservation: The Australian Experience (John Rolfe)
• Agri-Environmental Schemes in Europe: Switching to Collective Action (Laure Kuhfuss, Philippe Le Coent, Raphaële Préget and Sophie Thoyer)
• The Role of Firms in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation (Luca Tacconi)
• Mining Offsets in NSW (Robert Gillespie)
• Water Quality Trading (Suzie Greenhalgh and Mindy Selman)

Readership: Policy makers and advisors; environmental economists and management students and researchers.
Key Features:

• The contributing authors are among the world's leaders in the field of private sector environmental protection and come from Australasia, Europe, Africa and North America
• It redresses the ‘gap’ in the economics literature that currently exists as well as providing a base for the development of an even more active engagement of the private sector in environmental protection