Natural capital

DEFINITION: The elements of the natural environment that provide valuable goods and functions such as clean air, clean water, food and recreation. Natural capital accounting puts a value on these resouerces. Each year, the planet produces up to $72trn worth of 'free' goods and services that are essential to a well-functioning global economy.

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The metrics aim to help corporates assign a monetary value to natural resources which are often depleted through the sourcing of raw materials

Business giants launch new natural capital metric

A global network of big-name companies including Mars, Asda and Primark have today (July 11) unveiled a new set of metrics to help other organisations identify, measure, and value impacts and dependencies on natural assets, raw materials and natural infrastructure.
Dow has set a target of generating £750m ($1bn) from

Dow generates £90m from natural capital projects

The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) has continued to prove the business case for measuring impacts on nature, generating almost £90m ($120m) from putting an economic value on natural resources in 2017.
Featuring expert advice and case studies from Ikea, Asia Pulp & Paper, Primark and more, the handbook equips readers with knowledge and examples to embed new supply chain practices

The Essential Eight: edie launches supply chain sustainability handbook

Sustainability and CSR professionals looking to implement best practice to drive sustainability into the supply chain now have access to a new 'handbook' which provides expert advice and insight to tackle eight essential areas of supply chain management.

The Supply Chain Sustainability Handbook

This handbook outlines eight essential opportunities that businesses can seize upon now to drive supply chain sustainability. Each page of the handbook provides an overview of the opportunity, supplemented by top tips, ‘in action’ case studies and expert comments from businesses that will be represented at edie’s Sustainable Supply Chains 2018 conference in June.
edie has rounded up seven key measures in the 25-year Environment Plan that will likely have a big impact on the operations of the green business community

25-year Environment Plan: Seven key talking points for sustainability professionals

With the dust settled on the launch of the Government's plan to improve the environment over a generation, edie has taken a look at seven key measures that could have the biggest impact on those in the sustainability and energy management community.
The plans will offer additional funds to farmers who work together to make environmental improvements at “landscape scale”

Michael Gove: UK to reward farmers for environmental practices post-Brexit

Michael Gove will indicate that the UK will replace the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-Brexit with a system that gives subsidies to farmers who try to enhance the natural environment.
Redrow's Carey Fields development in Moulton near Northampton

Redrow targets biodiversity 'net gain' at new developments

UK housebuilder Redrow has announced that a "net gain" approach to biodiversity will be adopted across all new developments, following a trial period that successfully enhanced the ecological land value of certain projects.
WWF stresses that the Government would benefit from a stress testing approach and long-term plan for managing natural capital

WWF: UK could lose £35bn by 2050 through extreme weather

Researchers have warned that future droughts could dent the UK economy by around £35bn unless extreme weather scenarios are factored into governmental and business decisions.