Ontario's Wealth, Canada's Future: Appreciating the Value of the Greenbelt's Ecoservices, produced in collaboration with the David Suzuki Foundation, quantifies the value of the ecosystem services provided by the Greenbelt's natural capital, revealing the annual value of the region's measurable non-market ecosystem services at an estimated $2.6 billion annually. The value of ecosystem services considered in this report include carbon storage, air quality protection, watersheds, pollination, biodiversity, recreation, and agriculture.
This report is a fundamental step towards measuring the value of ecosystem services provided by the Greenbelt to the eight million residents living in the Greater Golden Horseshoe."
Key findings include:
- The Greenbelt's forests, wetlands, and soils combined store over 102 million tonnes of carbon worth $366 million per year.
- Each year, the Greenbelt's tree canopy cover removes approximately 60 kilograms of pollutants per hectare, valued at $69 million per year.
- The total value of the Greenbelt watersheds is $509 million per year.
- The annual non-market value of ecosystem services from the Greenbelt's agricultural lands is an estimated $329 million.
This report is a fundamental step towards measuring the value of ecosystem services provided by the Greenbelt to the eight million residents living in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Read the full report here:
