Economic Instruments to Enhance the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

The Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei <http://www.feem.it>, in association with Conservation International <http://www.conservation.org/>, DEFRA
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/>, Department of Land Economy of Cambridge University <http://www.landecon.cam.ac.uk/> and European Investment Bank
<http://www.eib.org/>, announces the Eleventh International BIOECON Conference on "Economic Instruments to Enhance the Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Biodiversity". The Conference will be held at the Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli, in Venice, Italy, on September
21st-22nd, 2009.

The Conference is targeted at researchers, environmental professionals, international organisations and policy makers who are interested in working in the management and conservation of biodiversity. The Conference is focused on identifying the most effective and efficient instruments for biodiversity conservation, such as auctions of biodiversity conservation contracts, payment-for-services contracts, taxes, tradable permits, voluntary mechanisms and straightforward command and control. Special emphasis will be given to policy reforms aimed at increasing the commercial rewards for conserving biodiversity, increasing the penalties for biodiversity loss and circulating information on the biodiversity performance requirements of firms. An increasing number of businesses, which were responsible for biodiversity loss in the past, are now supporters of biodiversity conservation. Markets for organic agriculture and sustainably-harvested timber are developing at double-digit rates, while rapid growth is observed in the demand for climate mitigation services, such as the protection of forests and wetlands to absorb carbon dioxide. Bio-prospecting, the search for new compounds, genes and organisms in the wild, is another biodiversity business on the rise.

Leading international environmental economists will present their latest research in two plenary sessions. Confirmed keynote speakers are:
Professor Edward B. Barbier
http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/barbier/

Professor Anil Markandya
http://people.bath.ac.uk/hssam/

The agenda also includes two panel discussions:
European Investment Bank session (day 1) on Valuing Ecosystem Services:
the Link Between Theory and Practice Conservation International session (day2) on Applying Economic Instruments to Enable People to Conserve Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

The Conference will open with an evening reception at the Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli on September 20th. Conference sessions
will commence in the morning of September 21st and end in the afternoon of September 22nd. A Conference dinner will be organised on the evening
of September 21st. Lunches and refreshments will also be provided.

The registration fee for conference auditors is of € 198, and includes access to: the cocktail reception, the social dinner, four coffee breaks and two lunches. Travel and accommodation expenses remain the responsibility of all the participants. For registration and payment of the fee, please go to http://bioecon.meetingvenice.it/.

Further information about the Conference programme will be posted on http://www.bioecon.ucl.ac.uk/04_11_ann-conf.htm.

If you need more information, please contact Ms. Ughetta Molin Fop, e-mail [email protected]