Global economic growth over the past 50 years has been accompanied by accelerated environmental decline. From 1981 to 2005, the global GDP more than doubled, in contrast to the 60% of the world's ecosystems being degraded or used in an unsustainable manner. Only a fraction of national income is spent on the environment. The global annual spending on the environment is estimated at best at US$10 billion per year. This is in contrast to the US$60-90 billion needed for those environmental investments that contribute directly to poverty reduction alone.