This project has now finished, running from June 1996 to May 1998. It involved researchers from the UK, France, Italy and Spain. Its purpose was to demonstrate effective methods for valuation of environmental amenities and natural capitals for conservation and sustainability policy purposes. The aim was to achieve this demonstration through study of and comparison between four real situations of natural resource and environmental decision-making in differing national and cultural contexts.

This project has now finished, running from June 1996 to May 1998. It involved researchers from the UK, France, Italy and Spain. Its purpose was to demonstrate effective methods for valuation of environmental amenities and natural capitals for conservation and sustainability policy purposes. The aim was to achieve this demonstration through study of and comparison between four real situations of natural resource and environmental decision-making in differing national and cultural contexts.

The project was co-ordinated by Martin O'Connor (Versailles). In addition to the UK (see below), the other partners are: Technology Assessment Sector, Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics, Ispra (Silvio Funtowicz), and Department of Applied Economics, University of La Laguna, Tenerife (Frederico Aguilera Klink).

UK Studies
The UK project partner undertook studies concerned with the defects of standard environmental valuation based on contingent valuation and cost-benefit analysis, and comparing these methods with alternative approaches based on discussion and deliberation. To this end, a CV under the direction of Clive Spash (Cambridge), and focus group citizens' jury exercises under the direction of Michael Jacobs (now Fabian Society) was conducted in Ely, Cambridgeshire looking at whether or not priority should be given to the creation of wetlands in the fens of East Anglia (a copy of a report on this citizen's jury is available from CSEC).

Specific aims explored how these respective valuation approaches differentially respond to cultural and ethical factors, and to draw out the implications of these differences for policy and institutional practice. The concluding analytical and report-writing phase of the work will be conducted under the guidance of Robin Grove-White and Brian Wynne (CSEC) and Alan Holland and John O'Neill (Philosophy, Lancaster University) as well as of Clive Spash and Michael Jacobs