With our current economic system treating nature as an ‘externality’, how can market processes adjust to price risk associated with the loss of nature and biodiversity? Bernardus J. Marttin, Member of the Managing Board with Rabobank, argues for the concept of natural capital which factors in such externalities, integrating nature’s welfare into any measures on prosperity.
Biodiversity as an Asset Class is a five episode series that profiles leading global thinkers on how we must reconstruct our economic system in order to protect nature and the future of life on Earth. Each episode explores topics that include removing barriers to action, the valuation of natural capital, a nature-positive business approach, and the role of philanthropic capital.
Might this classify as an economic indicator? I would argue that the level of sales of secondhand goods is a good proxy for the state of the economy. It should be easy to understand why, applying the concept of income elasticity of demand, and there might be some nice data to support the hypothesis.