The LIFESCAPE project has produced numerous project outputs from all 20 subprojects. These outputs can be found on the official LIFESCAPE project website: http://www.lifescapeyourlandscape.org

In addition to producing numerous publications and communication materials, the experiences and the increased capacity of various stakeholders in the five LIFESCAPE countries count as the project's most valuable outputs. The following stakeholders have been reached: children, farmers, rural entrepreneurs, local and regional policymakers, scientists, etc.

You can learn more about these experiences from the book LIFESCAPE - YOUR LANDSCAPE - a European journey of our experiences, which can be found below.

Some project results on economic and financial mechanisms to make sustainable policy decisions are presented here:

• the economic value of investments in sustainability projects;
• the development of a model that estimates the impact of projects on the regional economy;
• the Regional Account for sustainable development, a bank account system in which the interest is used to support projects that will enhance the quality of the region.

Investing in sustainability projects and nature and landscape is very profitable for the rural economy. Also, through an innovative financing instrument, funding streams can be made available for landscape conservation activities while the scheme is also in the interest of the participating bank and the supporting local authorities, companies and private persons.

The economic value of investments in sustainability projects
Three alternative investment strategies have been calculated through social Cost Benefit Analyses (CBA):

• people: social-cultural oriented investments
• planet: nature and landscape related investments
• profit: recreation/tourism related investments.

In a social CBA, priced and unpriced effects on an investment strategy are calculated.
The conclusion of this CBA is that investing in sustainability projects within Het Groene Woud (the Green Forest) pays off.

The development of a model that estimates the impact of projects on the regional economy
This project has a different scope from the CBA conducted in Het Groene Woud, because only priced effects are considered in the model.

The effects of a wide range of possible projects on the countryside can be calculated with the model: landscape, nature, culture, local economy including agriculture, recreation, etc.

The conclusion of this research is that investments in nature and landscape are very profitable for the rural economy.

The Regional Account system
The Regional Account is an account in which part of the interest earned from savings on the account is put in a fund to support projects that will enhance the quality of the region. This is a win-win-win situation: the owner of the account gets a normal market interest rate for his savings, the bank gets new customers has a bigger turnover, and the fund receives money from the Bank to support local sustainable projects. All in all, this is an excellent instrument to gain extra money for regional landscape quality projects.