Using Emergy to Value Ecosystem Goods and Services

The report evaluates emergy—a method that values goods and services based on the total solar energy used directly and indirectly to produce them—as an alternative or supplement to economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services (EGS). Through a literature review, expert interviews, and a survey of 119 environmental professionals and students, the study finds that while emergy provides a comprehensive, eco-centric perspective on sustainability, it faces significant academic criticism regarding its methodological rigour and conceptual complexity. The report concludes that a pluralistic approach combining biophysical and economic methods is most effective for EGS valuation.

• Emergy is defined as the total available solar energy used directly and indirectly to create a product or service, acting as an energy "memory" that allows for the objective valuation of environmental, social, and economic goods in solar emjoules.
• The emergy approach is criticized by economists and energy analysts for being idiosyncratic, failing to follow the principles of additivity, and ignoring human preference and demand, which are central to economic utility.
• Proponents argue that emergy provides a necessary eco-centric alternative to anthropocentric economic methods, offering a scientifically sound way to quantify non-market inputs and bridge ecological and economic systems.
• Case studies in agriculture demonstrate that emergy analysis can identify more sustainable practices; for example, in Brazil, ecological soybean production was found to be more sustainable than industrial methods, providing higher yields per input and lower externalities.
• An analysis of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) revealed that the emdollar value of environmental services was approximately 8.2 times their market value, and the annual budget allocation of $4.9 billion was miniscule compared to the em$1.5 trillion in environmental services provided.
• A survey of 119 environmental students and practitioners showed that 87% believe decision-making tools for natural resource management should be more based on biophysical measures than they currently are, although only 14% had previously heard of emergy analysis.
• The report recommends that Alberta Environment adopt a pluralistic "toolbox" approach to EGS valuation, combining emergy and other energy-based methods (such as net energy accounting and ecological footprint) with economic instruments.

APA

Voora, V., & Thrift, C. (2010). Using Emergy to Value Ecosystem Goods and Services. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/using_emergy.pdf

Chicago

Voora, Vivek, and Charles Thrift. Using Emergy to Value Ecosystem Goods and Services. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/using_emergy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Voora |first1=Vivek |last2=Thrift |first2=Charles |title=Using Emergy to Value Ecosystem Goods and Services |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=February 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/using_emergy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{voora2010using, author = {Voora, Vivek and Thrift, Charles}, title = {{Using Emergy to Value Ecosystem Goods and Services}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/using_emergy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }