Please join The University of Toronto’s School of the Environment’s Environmental Finance Advisory Committee on June 4, 2015 at the offices of Torys LLP for “Natural Capital: Its Significance to Business & Society At Large”

Natural Capital is an emerging topic gaining great interest with the business and accounting communities. The academic community has long advocated that society is not according appropriate value to the wide range of ecological goods and services provided by Nature – services such as water regulation, air quality, carbon storage, habitat, and food production, among many others. This seminar is designed to give a broad overview of the many types of goods and services provided by Nature and approaches to placing a financial value on them.

Innovative approaches to financially valuing the natural world is already underway and affecting the way that many businesses manage their supply chains and create social license to conduct their operations. It is hoped that by establishing more formal ways to both holistically value and account for Nature’s services, society may be better-positioned to understand the true costs and trade-offs associated with managing and sustaining so many of the world’s finite natural resources.

The Committee is delighted to announce that it has assembled thought leaders with expertise in this rapidly emerging topic.

Panel Discussion with:

Brian DePratto, Environmental Economist, TD Canada Trust

Dan Kraus, Senior Director of Conservation Program Development, The Nature Conservancy of Canada

Barb Steele, Managing Director, Natural Step

Steve Hounsell, Chair, Ontario Biodiversity Council

Moderator: Patricia A. Koval, Partner, Torys LLP

There will be a Q&A session following the presentations.