Cemex has launched a new conservation book called the Wealth of Nature

According to new book launched by Cemex, placing a financial value on the services and goods that nature provides is critical to guarantee that ecosystems stay healthy and continue to provide the benefits that all people depend on to survive.

The new publication – The Wealth of Nature – has been jointly developed by Cemex and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Conservation International (CI), the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) and The Wild Foundation at the 9th World Wilderness Congress in Mérida, Yucatán, México (WILD9).

ICUN director general Julia Marton- Lefèvre said in the book’s foreword, ““We now recognize that the climate will change, posing new challenges and threats to nature. Conserving biodiversity will play a key role in our ability to adapt to these changes. This book is a bridge between negotiations on a climate deal at Copenhagen and the launch of the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010.”

The book contains more than 20 essays by scientists working in conservation around the world. According to Cemex, it has been collated to highlight that unsustainable economic growth has put a burden on nature’s capacity to deliver clean water, fresh air, medicines and climate regulation, among other benefits. Assigning a financial value to them is the key to mend some of the environmental impact of human activities.