The State of Natural Capital Report for England 2024 was published on 9 October. Addressing why nature is still declining, given its importance?
Healthy functioning ecosystems are more resilient and adaptive to change and are more productive, providing us with a wide range of benefits that we rely on. These benefits include clean air and water, health and wellbeing and helping us adapt to climate change amongst many others. These all in turn contribute to society and the economy.
Therefore, given the importance of nature, why is it still declining? One critical reason is that it is often missing in decision making even if its relevant. Nature is therefore invisible, unaccounted for and we all suffer the consequences.
For years now we have taken more from nature than it can supply sustainably. We are in effect running down our assets and we are beginning to see some serious consequences of that, through the impacts of climate change for example.
The State of Natural Capital Report for England seeks to provide the information on nature decision makers need so that they can include it. It describes why nature is relevant to broad policy areas – making the invisible visible and providing the missing evidence needed. The report assesses the state of our natural capital in relation to its ability to continue to provide us with the benefits we rely on, it describes the risks that we are carrying and points to what we can do about it.
The State of Natural Capital Report looks to address
- Assessment of risks to England’s natural capital based on past and ongoing impacts on ecosystems and the benefits they provide.
- Highlights the consequences of this risk on policy areas that are most dependent on the benefits from nature.
- Identifies priority actions to mitigate the risks, through reducing pressures and large-scale ecosystem restoration.
- Shows how the evidence and analysis can be used to bring the state of natural capital into decision making across government.
This report demonstrates how risk to our ecosystems, is a risk to society and the economy. But we need to work with ambitious urgency.
