2 June 2011
Hidden value of nature revealed in groundbreaking study
The UK National Ecosystem Assessment has been published today giving the first attempt to calculate the true value of nature.
The report contains an analysis of the UK’s natural environment in terms of the benefit it provides to society and continuing economic prosperity. It is based around the processes that link human societies and their well being with the environment and emphasises the role of ecosystems in providing services that bring well-being to people.
ECI Senior Research Fellow, Dr Pam Berry, was responsible for the England chapter which synthesises the UKNEA findings at a country level. It examines the status and trends in England in biodiversity, the eight Broad habitats and in ecosystem services. It also examines the drivers of change and their consequences, as well as the role of sustainable management to enhance ecosystem services.
Headlines from the report have been appearing across the news:
- Value of Britain’s trees and waterways calculated in 'ground-breaking' study, The Telegraph
- The future of conservation is at a crossroads, The Guardian
- UK green spaces worth at least £30bn a year in health and welfare, report finds, The Guardian
- Putting a price on nature, BBC Today Programme
- Nature 'is worth billions' to UK, BBC News