The principle of intergenerational equity – that past, present, and future generations share the Earth’s resources in a fair and equitable manner – is facing many challenges. Ecosystem and biodiversity loss, fueled by climate change and environmental degradation, are impeding upon natural resources, ecosystem services, and the general environmental health and wellbeing of future generations.
However, scientists and policymakers are striving to change this trajectory. To achieve this, some are advocating for improvements to the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in order to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services for future generations.
While the ESA has scored substantial achievements in aiding the recovery of endangered and threatened species, in practice it has typically been more of a retroactive remedy than a preventative measure. Moreover, the ESA’s approach of single species protection, as opposed to a general ecosystem approach, stretches limited government resources as more species are listed. Furthermore, there may be mechanisms traditionally outside of the ESA that can be key to protecting critical habitats, such as incorporating valuation for ecosystem services, and incentivizing reduced-impact logging techniques, and more.
Join the Environmental Law Institute and leading experts to explore the potential role of the Endangered Species Act in preserving natural resources, biodiversity, and ecological services for future generations.
Panelists:
Jason Rylander, Senior Endangered Species Counsel, Defenders of Wildlife