Does the ecosystem services approach matter? Evaluating its political and practical implications for Swedish biodiversity

The ecosystem services approach (ES) is expected to guide Swedish decision makers towards more sustainable practices. This project aims to further our understanding of the practical implementation and political implications of the ES approach for Swedish biodiversity governance, including its possible contribution to enacting effective, fair and legitimate policy measures. More specifically, the project will analyse how the ES approach has been integrated within the policy toolbox of Swedish biodiversity governance and how key Swedish decision makers understand, value and develop capacity to act on ES. Based on empirical studies and stakeholder dialogues, the project will theoretically elaborate on key criteria and principles for construction of coherent policy packages that can help promote efficient, fair and legitimate biodiversity governance.

Publications from the project:

• Challenges and opportunities for the Ecosystem Services approach
  
• Assessing biodiversity policy designs in Australia, France and Sweden
• Do conceptual innovations facilitate transformative change? The case of biodiversity governance
• Policy Contestation over the Ecosystem Services Approach in Sweden