| About us |
Our Natural Capital
| The environmental challenges of the 21st Century go far beyond those of a changing climate. For example, the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reported that 60% of the world’s ecosystems are being degraded or used unsustainably. Much policy and practice intended to address this situation has focused on minimising human impacts on the environment. A new strategy, known as the ‘ecosystem approach’, is now emerging. Its focus is on integrated decision making so as to maximize the benefits derived from our natural environment in terms of human welfare. The Natural Capital Initiative (NCI) is a partnership between the Society of Biology, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the British Ecological Society. The NCI aims to identify practical ways to improve decision making and account for ecosystem benefits, as well as review supporting evidence and highlight knowledge gaps. NCI provides an independent forum for debate involving the government, scientists, business, NGOs and the wider public, around three major work themes: valuing ecosystem services; social capital and natural capital interactions, and ecosystem services and health. |
The Initiative was launched in 2009 with the Symposium Valuing Our Life Support Systems, which brought together 250 representatives from business, academia, non-profit and public organizations to discuss challenges and opportunities for implementing the ecosystem approach. The Symposium was attended by key figures including Prof John Beddington, Prof Bob Watson, Baroness Barbara Young, Helen Phillips, Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Andrew Clark, Lord May, Prof Mark Walport, Prof Chris Pollock, Prof Maggie Gill, Prof Nick Pidgeon, Graham Wynne among others. The Natural Capital Initiative aims to support the development of UK science, policy and practice aligned with the ecosystem approach; a way of looking whole ecosystems in decision making and for valuing the goods and services they provide. NCI is: • Providing an independent and inclusive forum for debate; • Identifying gaps in science, policy and its implementation and facilitating the debate about how to address these gaps; • Liaising with, and informing, key government, research council and other initiatives, and • Engaging the public and inspiring the next generation. |
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