Gross Ecosystem Product and Green Growth

In China, investments in natural capital – such as large-scale reforestation and the conversion of farmlands into grasslands – have improved many vital ecosystem services.  Nature-based mitigation of floods and sandstorms protect public health and property; and other ecosystem services regulate the quality of the food and water humans consume. However, these benefits are rarely measured in any economic metrics. 

NatCap has developed the open source software platform InVEST to reliably value the ecosystem services of a given area. With the support of collaborative research on this topic from NatCap and RCEES, China has zoned 49% of its land for ecosystem protection and restoration. InVEST software is now used by over 100 research partners and over 300 implementing partners. GEP (Gross Ecosystem Product), enabled by the InVEST software, measures the total economic value of ecosystem services produced within a given area (e.g. county, city, province, or even country). China is the first country to adopt GEP in economic planning, and many local governments across the country have implemented GEP. It is currently being used by a growing number of policymakers to track ecological performance alongside economic measures such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In March 2021, GEP was approved by the UN Statistical Committee as a global standard for environmental sustainability.

GEP offers the opportunity to integrate the value of nature into economic decision making and guide sustainable growth. Our research aims to support the adoption of GEP across China. If successful, China can become a leader in environmental conservation and a model for other countries. SCCEI will serve as a hub for discussion, knowledge sharing and training to drive the uptake of GEP in China and worldwide. 

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