Sustainable development and environmental improvement are often regarded as intrinsically valuable a priori. As a result, the policies by which these goals are to be attained is often inadequately scrutinised. In this book, ecological economics addresses the institutional and policymaking...

This paper considers two problems in valuing the benefits of biodiversity protection. These are, firstly, that preferences for biodiversity protection may be lexicographic rather than utilitarian. The more individuals for whom this is true, the less is cost-benefit analysis validated as a means...

It is argued that mainstream economics, with its present methodological approach, is limited in its ability to analyze and develop adequate public policy to deal with current environmental problems and sustainable development. This book provides an alternative approach. Building on the strengths...