Natural England boss to call for new approach to nature as economic asset

The chairman of Natural England is set to call for a whole new approach to nature as an asset that underpins the UK’s economic health.

Tony Juniper will warn that the economy cannot grow if nature does not, as he addresses a launch event for the non-governmental body’s State Of Natural Capital report.

The organisation, which advises ministers on the natural environment, has assessed the state of the UK’s ecosystem assets, such as wetlands and forests, and outlines the risks to society and the economy caused by their depletion.

Launching the report at the Wellcome Collection in central London on Wednesday, Mr Juniper is expected to say: “Nature is our national wealth service: our natural assets provide a steady stream of essential goods and benefits on which our economy and our population rely.

“It gives us life’s essentials of fresh water, air and food, it provides places to relax, resources to build with and mitigation of our impact on the planet.”

But he will warn that nature is in “critical decline” such as 90% of the UK’s wetlands being lost in the modern era and more than 97% of lowland semi-natural grassland in the last century.

“Nature is being wiped off the face of our supposedly green and pleasant land but we continue to act as if we are oblivious to the warning signs from a planet that is struggling badly,” he is expected to say.

“For years now we have taken more from nature than it can supply sustainably.

“We are in effect running down our assets as we strip away nature’s ability to provide clean water and carbon storage by degrading soils, which increases water pollution and sends harmful emissions into the atmosphere, affecting human health and adding to consumer bills – be it your weekly shop or household bills.

“We must move beyond just seeing the health of our economy and our country in terms of pure GDP, we have to incorporate the health of our natural capital and its ability to sustain our economy into our understanding of the condition of our nation.”

The report will outline how nature affects the balance sheet and how changes are already being felt in the economy due to its depletion.

Concerns revolve around the reduction in access to nature, a decline in insect life threatening food supply, soil degradation causing carbon emissions to rise and more frequent extreme weather events leading to significant economic damage.

Published alongside the report will be a new risk register, in which Natural England sets out policy recommendations and actions to address these risks.

“What I hope people will understand from this report is that nature isn’t some rather quaint, distant notion to be inevitably trampled by progress – or to occasionally hold it up,” Mr Juniper is set to say.

“Nature is a dynamic, vigorous, multi-layered force that can provide so many of our essential needs today and into the future, if we take this opportunity to understand it better and treat it with respect.

“Nature recovery is a long-term investment. This report will offer an important resource for policymakers by making the invisible visible and providing the missing evidence needed, and guide the action needed to achieve sustainable use of our natural assets.”