Ökosystemleistungen in der kommunalen Umwelt- und Klimapolitik: Nutzen vermitteln

Increasing problem pressure, limited resources, and declining political and societal salience are making the design of local environmental and climate policy increasingly challenging. Against this background, social and natural science perspectives are combined to discuss the concept of ecosystem services as a potential approach to local policymaking. Ecosystem services describe the contributions of natural ecosystems to human well-being and thereby offer a perspective that frames environmental and climate protection not primarily as a cost factor, but as a policy field generating both societal and individual benefits. Strengthening the visibility and communication of these benefits helps to reinforce the societal legitimacy of local environmental and climate policy in challenging times.