This report is about how to come to shared strategic understanding about the natural environment, in a place, using a natural capital evidence base. It is about working collaboratively and in partnership so that we can do more to enhance nature and human wellbeing. It sets out an approach that will help you include natural capital evidence in your strategic decision-making and identifies Natural England’s evidence-based tools that will help along the way.
Working with natural capital helps deliver multiple benefits for people through our actions to improve the natural environment. This is part of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (HM Government 2018) and is relevant whether you are trying to plan strategically in your place, contributing to the nature recovery network or planning nature-based solutions that will help alleviate flooding or address the climate emergency.
For over a decade Natural England has been working with natural capital in a practical way. Our approach and products are transparent, easy to use, widely available and collaborative. This report brings everything together in one place to improve your access to this material and share our approach.
We present our best practice view based on our own learning to date of what is most important to include in a natural capital approach. At each stage we highlight the learning that has brought us to this point and signpost tools and resources we have developed that will help.