Our current economic paradigm is flawed. It treats nature as a limitless resource that is unaffected by human activity. As a result, we have overloaded our atmosphere with carbon, cut down our forests, polluted our oceans with plastics, degraded our ecosystems, and reduced biodiversity through habitat destruction.
Markets generally value nature only when it provides specific commodities and inputs. Ironically, only dead creatures, such as whales and elephants, have market value. But living nature has a price of zero!
Because our current paradigm overlooks the value of an intact and thriving nature, we are living beyond the planet’s ability to sustain us. We face accelerating global warming, increased threat of pandemics, and erosion of nature’s capacity to deliver the services upon which our lives and livelihoods depend.
It is time for a new paradigm.
At Blue Green Future, we work with multiple stakeholders — conservation groups, academic institutions, research centers, foundations, enterprises, financial institutions, and governments — to provide policy advice aimed at creating a new economic paradigm and the new markets it makes possible.
The new economic paradigm we are helping to establish acknowledges that our economy depends on nature and embeds ecology into our economic choices.
The new markets we are helping create value the flow of benefits to humanity that nature produces.
Ralph Chami, Ph.D.
Co-Founder
Policy expert, Researcher, Professor
Co-Founder
Professor, Policy Expert, Teacher
Co-Founder
Nature Advocate, Executive Coach & Psychologist
Co-Founder
Researcher, Mathematical and Computational Modeler
Elephant and Fauna Researcher, Climate Scientist, Conservationist
Sustainable Blue Economy Consultant, Cross-Pollinator of Solutions
Intergenerational Equity Advisor, Musician & Poet, Animal Rights Advocate
Distinguished Professor, Global Ocean Restoration Catalyst, Blue Carbon Expert
Ocean Law Expert, Whale & Ocean Advocacy
Scientist, Conservation Policy Advisor, Coral Expert
Nathalie Hilmi
Lead IPCC Author, Environmental Economics and Policy Expert, Professor and Lecturer
Whale conservationist, Naturalist, Science Director