Using Emergy to Value Ecosystem Services
The emergy (not to be confused with energy) approach is a means to measure and value the energy used, directly and indirectly, to make a product or service. All goods and services from the environment, society and the economy can be expressed in emergy units so they can then be compared to assess the condition and sustainability of a system. Consequently, the emergy approach provides policy-makers and decision-makers with a more comprehensive valuation system to examine economic and environmental information and better manage human and natural environments.
Using emergy to value ecosystem goods and services
(PDF - 2.3 MB) may provide a means to better understand their importance for our well-being. IISD examined the advantages and disadvantages of the emergy approach for valuing ecosystem goods and services. Adequately valuing ecosystem goods and services requires a combination of biophysical and economic methods. Additional research on the emergy methodology is needed to determine whether it should be applied more widely as a valuation technique.
