The Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, in association with Conservation International, DEFRA, Department of Land Economy of Cambridge University, Department of Economics of University of Ca’ Foscari Venice, and European Investment Bank, organized the Eleventh International BIOECON Conference on “Economic Instruments to Enhance the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity”. The Conference was held at the Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli, in Venice, Italy, on September 21st-22nd, 2009.
The Conference was targeted at researchers, environmental professionals, international organisations and policy makers who were interested in working in the management and conservation of biodiversity. The Conference was focused on identifying the most effective and efficient instruments for biodiversity conservation, such as auctions of biodiversity conservation contracts, payment-for-services contracts, taxes, tradable permits, voluntary mechanisms and straightforward command and control. Special emphasis were given to policy reforms aimed at increasing the commercial rewards for conserving biodiversity, increasing the penalties for biodiversity loss and circulating information on the biodiversity performance requirements of firms.