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The economic opportunity of rewilding

7 Module summary



In this module, you have learned that rewilding can present significant economic opportunities by generating revenue through nature-based businesses such as tourism and local product sales, which also help build community support. Companies can align their operations with rewilding by offering nature-focused services or products. While this may require upfront investment in skills and infrastructure, it can also create jobs, foster environmental pride, and drive rewilding efforts, particularly in rural areas.

Local economies can benefit from sustainable natural products that support wildlife, but careful management is essential to avoid environmental harm. Nature tourism also has an important role to play.

Rewilding enhances ecosystem services like food production, climate regulation, and recreation. If those who benefit from these services pay for them, it can finance further rewilding. Among the ecosystem services, carbon capture can also be important for financing rewilding efforts. Rewilding helps capture carbon, and selling carbon credits can provide financial support for these initiatives while contributing to climate change mitigation.

  

Now that you have completed this module, you should be able to:

  • Analyse how rewilding can generate revenue through nature-based businesses such as tourism and local product sales and evaluate its role in building community support.
  • Assess the ways companies can align their operations with rewilding by offering nature-focused services or products and identify the necessary investments in skills and infrastructure.
  • Explain how nature tourism promotes sustainability by creating jobs, fostering environmental pride, and driving rewilding efforts, particularly in rural areas.
  • Evaluate the benefits of sustainable natural products and ecosystem services and discuss the importance of financial contributions from beneficiaries to support conservation efforts, including the role of carbon credits in rewilding and climate change mitigation.