Ecological Goods and Services: A review of best practice in policy and programing

The report analyzes EGS programs in the UK, Australia, France, Switzerland, the US, and Canada, emphasizing the shift from regulatory approaches to economic incentives. It highlights the importance of multifunctionality, geographic targeting, and public accountability. For Manitoba, it recommends a consolidated, watershed-based approach incorporating performance measurement and adaptive management.

• EGS programming has evolved through three stages: an initial phase of raising awareness and expanding programs in the 1980s and 1990s, a second phase recognizing the 'multifunctionality' of agriculture (providing multiple public benefits beyond food and fibre), and a current era focused on public accountability and outcome measurement.
• Australia is identified as a leader in multi-objective EGS design, utilizing tools like the catchment modelling framework (CMF) in the EcoTender program to optimize outcomes for carbon sequestration, terrestrial biodiversity, aquatic function, and saline land area.
• Geographic targeting of expenditures is a best practice for public accountability, exemplified by the Chesapeake Bay and Mississippi River Basin programs in the US, which prioritize large drainage basins for water quality improvements.
• In Canada, EGS initiatives are largely fragmented as regional pilots; the report notes a lack of a comprehensive national approach, with the exception of Prince Edward Island's provincial program under the ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) branding.
• The Pike River Watershed project in Quebec demonstrated that a high landowner participation rate (85%) and technical investments in remote sensing and runoff control structures could lead to a 25% decrease in the mean phosphorous load.
• Research on Canadian EGS delivery mechanisms indicates that market-based instruments, specifically water quality trading, are the most cost-efficient options compared to annual payments.
• The report recommends that Manitoba adopt a consolidated programmatic approach delivered on a watershed basis to maximize synergies between water quality, wetlands, riparian, habitat, and greenhouse gas objectives.
• Effective EGS program design requires a shift from measuring 'outputs' (e.g., number of projects completed) to measuring 'outcomes' (actual environmental change), a need highlighted by the 2008 Office of the Auditor General of Canada report.

APA

Roy, D., Venema, H. D., & McCandless, M. (2011). Ecological Goods and Services: A review of best practice in policy and programing. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/egs_policy_programing.pdf

Chicago

Roy, Dimple, Henry David Venema, and Matthew McCandless. Ecological Goods and Services: A review of best practice in policy and programing. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/egs_policy_programing.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roy |first1=Dimple |last2=Venema |first2=Henry David |last3=McCandless |first3=Matthew |title=Ecological Goods and Services: A review of best practice in policy and programing |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/egs_policy_programing.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roy2011ecological, author = {Roy, Dimple and Venema, Henry David and McCandless, Matthew}, title = {{Ecological Goods and Services: A review of best practice in policy and programing}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/egs_policy_programing.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }