From businessgreen.com - Ground-breaking study calculates contribution of natural world to the UK economy could be up to £50bn

By Will Nichols

02 Jun 2011

Natural systems contribute billions of pounds to the UK economy and the nation's wellbeing, but a failure to value ecosystems and habitats properly has accelerated their exploitation and decline.

That is the conclusion of a landmark government-backed report that attempts to place a monetary value on natural systems, arguing that, far from being a drain on the economy, better management of the environment helps maintain the quality of the "consistently undervalued" services it provides.

The report, entitled the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA), builds on the UN-backed The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity report, which last year made the case for placing a global economic value on ecosystem services. It is the result of work conducted by more than 500 experts backed by Defra, the devolved governments and research institutions.

Taking account of economic, health and social benefits, the report calculates that pollinators alone are worth £430m a year to British agriculture, while doubling woodland coverage over the past 60 years has seen the value of increased carbon sequestration reach £680m a year.

It also concludes that the amenity benefits of living near rivers, coasts and wetlands provides a boost to UK Plc of up to £1.3bn a year, while a view over parks or fields from your window is worth £300 per person per year.

Read the full article in businessgreen.com