Eifion Rees

From 'staycations' to conservation holidays - everything you need to know to plan a green vacation. Ask the average Briton to choose between going green and going on holiday, and it's unlikely you'd hear the answer over the twin slams of suitcase lid and front door. Whether or not the perennial tabloid clamouring about "Workaholic Britain" is true, it's fair to say we feel we earn our holidays. Increasingly we've come to demand them as a right.

The conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity is the foundation of a sustainable economy. Water, food, shelter and energy are the building blocks upon which life and economic systems are built. The resilience of the global economy is intricately linked to the state of the environment. Business also affects, and needs, biodiversity. Billions of people work in the private sector, and business is a key driver of social and economic development. Some are beginning to see the value of biodiversity, the need to protect it, and the need to invest in it. In the current global recession, with huge stimulus investments coming from governments, now, more than ever, we should be investing in nature to drive sustainable economic and social growth.