Counting on the EnvironmentAn Ecosystem Credit Accounting System

Nicole Robinson-ManessThe Willamette Partnership

What is the Partnership Working For?

Investing in what Mother Nature would invest in.

A fair and transparent way for people to track, buy, and sell the benefits of restoration.

Rules and tools that make restoring things that matter a practical business decision for private land managers.

Grey Infrastructure

Cooling TowersCompliance: AchievedCost: A Lot

Green Infrastructure

Restore 35 miles of streams

Ecological Value: Not Much

Ecological Value: Huge

Compliance: Achieved Cost: A Lot Less

Keys for Ecosystem Markets to Work

Credit typesWetland

Salmonid habitatUpland prairie

habitatWater temperature

Water nutrientsOak habitat

Floodplain habitatSagebrush habitat

Coming soonBenefits of flow

How an Ecosystem Service Market Works

BuyersIn many instances, it is cost effective for a polluter or developer to buy credits from another entity to mitigate the footprint of their activities. Investorsspeculating on futures markets may also buy ecosystem services credits.

Landowners (Sellers)Conservation practices that meet standards will produce measurable units of environmental improvement above a certain baseline and can be

registered as ecosystem services credits.

AggregatorNGOs, project developers, and other entities bring communities of producers to market by helping them register credits and bolstering supply side demand.

VerifierEnsures quality of

registered practices.StandardsScientific, NGO, and Govt. organizations work together to determine what practices lead to measurable units of environmental improvement

Trading PlatformPrivate companies or NGOs create a nexus to facilitate commerce between buyers and sellers of ecosystem services credits.

Credit

Credit

Credit

MetricsMeasurable units of environmental

improvement

Credit

Credit

RegistryConservation practices are enrolled as tradable ecosystem services credits.

ValidateValidate

CalculateCalculate

VerifyVerify

RegisterRegister

TrackTrack

How it worksHow it works