LONDON (AP) — A report commissioned by the British government is urging a radical transformation in the way that countries around the world assess the state of their economies by elevating the natural world as a key element in their economic planning. The review of the economics of biodiversity by Professor Partha Dasgupta concludes that nature needs to become as valued as traditional gauges of economic wealth such as profits in the future. In the 600-page review published Tuesday, the University of Cambridge economist warned that current economic growth and prosperity have “come at a devastating cost to nature.” He said the coronavirus pandemic and the associated economic calamity is one illustration of what can happen when habitats are destroyed and species exploited.
