A natural capital approach is about thinking of nature as an asset, or set of assets, which are beneficial to people. The quality, quantity, and location of natural assets determines their ability to provide goods and services.
Devon Local Nature Partnership’s vision is to maximise investment into Devon’s natural environment for wildlife, people, and business.
Leads
- Board: Harry Barton, CEO, DWT
- Working Group: Sarah Jennings, DCC
Current work
- Devon, Somerset and Plymouth LNP partners are working with The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and others to increase investment into natural capital in the region.
- In 2020 Devon, Somerset and Plymouth LNPs worked with the LNP to jointly publish Investing in Natural Capital for the Heart of the South West, explaining what natural capital is, why it is critical to social and economic wellbeing of the region and including case studies.
- ‘Devon’s Green Economy – Full scoping report, Transform Research for Devon LNP, 2012.
Partner projects
- North Devon Biosphere Foundation is developing an Investment Platform for Devon, aiming to link buyers and sellers and ensure traceability of transactions
More information
- Find out more about the economic value of Devon’s ecosystem services
- The 2011 UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) is the first analysis of the UK’s natural environment in terms of the benefits it provides to society and our continuing economic prosperity
- The 2011 Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) stated that one of the four ways in which the Government intends to mainstream the value of nature is through: ‘Creating a green economy, in which economic growth and the health of our natural resources sustain each other, and markets, businesses and Government better reflect the value of nature’.
- The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) have lots of information about the use of nature in economic choices
- Natural England have a number of publications regarding the value of Ecosystem Services.