A Business Perspective of a Natural Capital Restoration

The interest for investment with "green" outcomes is increasing worldwide. Its driver could be considered the more and more appealing environmental discourse, but also the development of various economic mechanisms which facilitate the reduction of transaction costs and the emergence of new market opportunities. Some investment funds reached the volume and rate of return that respect the conditions of large institutional investors. Such funds are related to forestry, depending on two important and increasing markets: certified wood products and carbon certificates. Other "green" investment opportunities are biodiversity credits, ecotourism payments, and renewable energy. Supporting natural ecosystems is not new in environmental protection. Nevertheless, looking to this from a business perspective is a recent development resulting from the increased importance given to environmental economics and how it creates an appropriate framework for more effective and prompt action toward the preservation of life supporting systems of the Earth. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V.