Ecosystem Service Benefits of Projects Funded by California Climate Investments

In 2023, IEc identified and measured the many and diverse ecosystem service benefits generated by projects funded by California Climate Investments (CCI). The report evaluates the ways in which CCI projects contribute to healthy, functioning ecosystems and human well-being beyond reducing atmospheric GHG concentrations, with a particular emphasis on CCI investments in natural and working lands.

The resulting report identifies over 7,800 CCI projects implemented between 2015 and 2020 across 12 categories that improve environmental quality and ecosystem health. These projects span agriculture, forestry, urban greening, wetlands, water efficiency, and waste reduction. Ecosystem service benefits include, for example, recreational opportunities, food and minerals production (e.g., timber, food crops), water conservation, and human health benefits.

To assess the range and potential magnitude of ecosystem service benefits, the analysis employs a mixed methods approach, relying on the best available models and information from existing datasets and the natural and social science literature. In total, the report quantifies and values over 30 ecosystem service endpoints across these projects and describes several other benefit streams qualitatively.