A ROLE FOR DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES IN BRINGING ABOUT POLICY CHANGE: AN EXAMPLE FROM IRELAND

For many years, environmental valuation has been dominated by a singular reliance on economic methods. However, despite their increased sophistication, these valuation studies have, for the most part, only alerted policy makers to the existence of public good environmental benefits rather than achieving a significant re-focusing of policy in agriculture, forestry or the marine. Nevertheless, while we are continuing to experience losses in biodiversity and environmental quality, there are signs of a growing recognition of the importance of sustainability principles, exemplified in the EU's proposed Green Deal. In this context, there is potential for policy to be informed by wider environmental values. This paper explores how a recognition of such diverse values as relational or shared values can complement economic valuation to add more sustainability principles to policy.