Estimates of the financial and societal value of natural resources to people in the UK.

Estimates of the financial and societal value of natural resources to people in the UK.

This article provides the monetary estimates of the UK natural capital. Natural capital includes all natural resources including ecosystem assets and the services that they provide. Valuation of natural capital is important because it provides a common metric through which it can be compared with other forms of capital. Integrated and comprehensive natural capital accounts can in principle provide the basis for key indicators of economic performance and sustainability.

Source agency: Office for National Statistics

Designation: Experimental Official Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Natural Capital

Detailed data breakdowns of the financial and societal value of natural resources to people in the UK.

This is the first natural capital account for London, and was supported by the Mayor of London, the National Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The natural capital account assesses the economic value of different benefits that London and Londoners gain from the city’s public parks and other green spaces. For more information on the methodology and results of this analysis, please see the London.gov.uk website.

This spatial dataset is an output of the Natural England County & City Natural Capital Atlas project (July 2020). It shows variation in ecosystem service flow for habitats across England, based on indicators identified by NE in the 2018 Natural Capital Indicators project. The dataset comprises a hexagonal grid which summarises indicator values across the country (each unit = 5km²). Natural Capital is an important aspect of current environmental policy and management. This dataset, in combination with the other project outputs, will support understanding of Natural Capital in England and serve as a valuable engagement tool to communicate concepts of the Natural Capital approach to a wide variety of stakeholders. For full methodology and user guide see documents ‘NCAtlas_Devon’ and ‘NC-Mapping-User-Guidance’ at http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6672365834731520. For full metadata documentation see the data package download below. Copyright statement: LCM2015 © NERC (CEH) 2011. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright 2007. © Defra. Contains Defra information © Defra - Project MB0102. © Environment Agency. © Forestry Commission. © Historic England [year]. © Joint Nature Conservation Committee. © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [year]. Contains data supplied by © NERC - Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. © Natural England copyright. Natural England Licence No. 2011/052 British Geological Survey © NERC, all rights reserved, © NSRI Cranfield University. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right [year]. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [year]. Contains Rural Payments Agency. © Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. © Bath & North East Somerset Council. © Bedford Borough Council. © London Borough of Bexley. © Birmingham City Council. © Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. © Blackpool Council. © Bolton Council. © BCP Council. © Bracknell Forest Council. © City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. © Brighton & Hove City Council. © Bristol City Council. © London Borough of Bromley. © Buckinghamshire County Council. © Bury Council. © Calderdale Council. © Cambridgeshire County Council. © Central Bedfordshire Council. © Cheshire East Council. © Cheshire West and Chester Council. © Cornwall Council. © Cumbria County Council. © Derbyshire County Council. © Devon County Council. © Doncaster Council. © Dorset Council. © Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. © Durham County Council. © East Riding of Yorkshire Council. © East Sussex County Council. © Essex County Council. © Gateshead Council. © Gloucestershire County Council. © Hampshire County Council. © Herefordshire Council. © Hertfordshire County Council. © Hull City Council. © Isle of Anglesey County Council. © Isle of Wight Council. © Kent County Council. © Kirklees Council. © Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. © Lake District National Park. © Lancashire County Council. © Leicester City Council. © Leicestershire County Council. © Lincolnshire County Council. © Manchester City Council. © Medway Council. © Norfolk County Council. © North Lincolnshire Council. © North Somerset Council. © North Yorkshire County Council. © Northamptonshire County Council. © Northumberland County Council. © Nottingham City Council. © Nottinghamshire County Council. © Oldham Council. © Oxfordshire County Council. © Peterborough City Council. © Plymouth City Council. © Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. © Portsmouth City Council. © Reading Borough Council. © Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. © Rochdale Borough Council. © Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. © Rutland County Council. © Salford City Council. © Sefton Council. © Sheffield City Council. © Shropshire Council. © Slough Borough Council. © Somerset County Council. © South Gloucestershire Council. © Southampton City Council. © St Helens Council. © Staffordshire County Council. © Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. © Stockton Council. © Suffolk County Council. © Surrey County Council. © Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. © Thurrock Council. © Torbay Council. © Trafford Council. © Wakefield Council. © Walsall Council. © Warrington Borough Council. © Warwickshire County Council. © West Berkshire Council. © West Sussex County Council. © Wigan Council. © Wiltshire Council. © Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council. © Wirral Council. © Wokingham Borough Council. © Worcestershire County Council. © City of York Council. Attribution statement: © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [year].

Total tourism expenditure from each survey and the amount attributable to T&OL activities.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The People and Nature Survey for England is one of the main sources of data and statistics on how people experience and think about the environment. It began collecting data in April 2020 and has been collecting data since.

The survey builds on the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey which ran from 2009 to 2019. Data from the People and Nature Survey for England enables users to:

• understand how people use, enjoy, and are motivated to protect the natural environment
• monitor changes in use of the natural environment over time, at a range of different spatial scales and for key groups within the population
• understand how being in the natural environment can influence wellbeing
• understand environmental attitudes and the actions people take at home, in the garden and in the wider community to protect the environment

This data contributes to Natural England’s delivery of statutory duties, informs Defra policy and natural capital accounting, and contributes to the outcome indicator framework for the 25 Year Environment Plan.

Different versions of the People and Nature Survey for England are available from the UK Data Archive under Open Access (SN 9092) conditions, End User Licence (SN 9093), and Secure Access (SN 9094).

The Secure Access version includes the same data as the End User Licence version, but includes more detailed variables including:

• age as a continuous variable
• sex
  
• whether gender is the same as at birth
• sexual orientation
• more detailed ethnicity
• where journey to recent visit to green and natural space started from
• visit date
• detailed home geography, including local authority districts, local nature recovery strategies areas, national character areas; urban/rural area, and Index of Multiple Deprivation
• a number of variables that have not been top-coded, including number of children and number of children in household, food and drink expenditure, and income

The Open Access version includes the same data as the End User Licence version, but does not include the following variables:

• age band
• gender identity
  
• marital status
• number of children living in household
• number of children
• work status
• student working status
• income
• qualification
• ethnicity and consent to answer ethnicity question
• number of vehicles
• presence of dog in household
• physical activity
• various health data

Researchers are advised to review the Open Access and/or the End User Licence versions to determine if these are adequate prior to ordering the Secure Access version.

Natural England's statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in January 2023. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.

Users are welcome to contact Natural England directly at people_and_nature@naturalengland.org.uk with any comments about how they meet these standards. Alternatively, users can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

Since the latest review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, Natural England have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:

1. Published a development plan with timetables for future work, which will be updated annually
2. Ensured that users have opportunities to contribute to development planning through their biannual Research User Group
3. Enabled wider access to the data by publishing raw data sets through the UK Data Service
4. Provided users with guidance on how statistics from their products can be compared with those produced in the devolved nations
5. Published guidance on the differences between PaNS and MENE
6. Improved estimates of the percentage of people visiting nature in the previous 14 days by reducing the amount of respondents answering ‘don’t know’.

These data are available in Excel, SPSS, as well as Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) formats.

Latest edition information

For the seventh...

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The People and Nature Survey for England is one of the main sources of data and statistics on how people experience and think about the environment. It began collecting data in April 2020 and has been collecting data since. The survey builds on the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey which ran from 2009 to 2019. Data from the People and Nature Survey for England enables users to:understand how people use, enjoy, and are motivated to protect the natural environmentmonitor changes in use of the natural environment over time, at a range of different spatial scales and for key groups within the populationunderstand how being in the natural environment can influence wellbeingunderstand environmental attitudes and the actions people take at home, in the garden and in the wider community to protect the environmentThis data contributes to Natural England’s delivery of statutory duties, informs Defra policy and natural capital accounting, and contributes to the outcome indicator framework for the 25 Year Environment Plan.Different versions of the People and Nature Survey for England are available from the UK Data Archive under Open Access (SN 9092) conditions, End User Licence (SN 9093), and Secure Access (SN 9094). The Secure Access version includes the same data as the End User Licence version, but includes more detailed variables including:age as a continuous variablesexwhether gender is the same as at birthsexual orientationmore detailed ethnicitywhere journey to recent visit to green and natural space started fromvisit datedetailed home geography, including local authority district, urban/rural area, and Index of Multiple Deprivationa number of variables that have not been top-coded, including number of children and number of children in household, food and drink expenditure, and incomeThe Open Access version includes the same data as the End User Licence version, but does not include the following variables:age bandgender identitymarital statusnumber of children living in householdnumber of childrenwork statusstudent working statusincomequalificationethnicity and consent to answer ethnicity questionnumber of vehiclespresence of dog in householdphysical activityvarious health dataResearchers are advised to review the Open Access and/or the End User Licence versions to determine if these are adequate prior to ordering the Secure Access version.Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. An explanation can be found on the Office for Statistics Regulation website.Natural England's statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in January 2023. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.Users are welcome to contact Natural England directly at people_and_nature@naturalengland.org.uk with any comments about how they meet these standards. Alternatively, users can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.Since the latest review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, Natural England have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:Published a development plan with timetables for future work, which will be updated annuallyEnsured that users have opportunities to contribute to development planning through their biannual Research User GroupEnabled wider access to the data by publishing raw data sets through the UK Data ServiceProvided users with guidance on how statistics from their products can be compared with those produced in the devolved nationsPublished guidance on the differences between PaNS and MENEImproved estimates of the percentage of people visiting nature in the previous 14 days by reducing the amount of respondents answering ‘don’t know’.These data are available in Excel, SPSS, as well as Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) formats. For the fifth edition (June 2024), data for October to December 2023 have been added. Main Topics: The People and Nature Survey for England survey covers topics including: visits to green and natural spacesactivities in green and natural spaceschildren and green and natural spaces wellbeingaccess to natural and open spaces and gardens attitudes towards the natural environment and environmental problems pro-environmental behaviour human health

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The People and Nature Survey for England is one of the main sources of data and statistics on how people experience and think about the environment. It began collecting data in April 2020 and has been collecting data since.

The survey builds on the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey which ran from 2009 to 2019. Data from the People and Nature Survey for England enables users to:

• understand how people use, enjoy, and are motivated to protect the natural environment
• monitor changes in use of the natural environment over time, at a range of different spatial scales and for key groups within the population
• understand how being in the natural environment can influence wellbeing
• understand environmental attitudes and the actions people take at home, in the garden and in the wider community to protect the environment

This data contributes to Natural England’s delivery of statutory duties, informs Defra policy and natural capital accounting, and contributes to the outcome indicator framework for the 25 Year Environment Plan.

Different versions of the People and Nature Survey for England are available from the UK Data Archive under Open Access (SN 9092) conditions, End User Licence (SN 9093), and Secure Access (SN 9094).

The Secure Access version includes the same data as the End User Licence version, but includes more detailed variables including:

• age as a continuous variable
• sex
  
• whether gender is the same as at birth
• sexual orientation
• more detailed ethnicity
• where journey to recent visit to green and natural space started from
• visit date
• detailed home geography, including local authority districts, local nature recovery strategies areas, national character areas; urban/rural area, and Index of Multiple Deprivation
• a number of variables that have not been top-coded, including number of children and number of children in household, food and drink expenditure, and income

The Open Access version includes the same data as the End User Licence version, but does not include the following variables:

• age band
• gender identity
  
• marital status
• number of children living in household
• number of children
• work status
• student working status
• income
• qualification
• ethnicity and consent to answer ethnicity question
• number of vehicles
• presence of dog in household
• physical activity
• various health data

Researchers are advised to review the Open Access and/or the End User Licence versions to determine if these are adequate prior to ordering the Secure Access version.

Natural England's statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in January 2023. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.

Users are welcome to contact Natural England directly at people_and_nature@naturalengland.org.uk with any comments about how they meet these standards. Alternatively, users can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

Since the latest review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, Natural England have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:

1. Published a development plan with timetables for future work, which will be updated annually
2. Ensured that users have opportunities to contribute to development planning through their biannual Research User Group
3. Enabled wider access to the data by publishing raw data sets through the UK Data Service
4. Provided users with guidance on how statistics from their products can be compared with those produced in the devolved nations
5. Published guidance on the differences between PaNS and MENE
6. Improved estimates of the percentage of people visiting nature in the previous 14 days by reducing the amount of respondents answering ‘don’t know’.

These data are available in Excel, SPSS, as well as Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) formats.

Latest edition information

For the seventh...

The objectives of the study were to:Illustrate the structure of the urban forest, including the species, composition, diversity and condition.Calculate the ecosystem service values provided by the trees using the i-Tree Eco software suite.Promote the urban forest and emphasise the benefits it provides.Establish the economic value of the urban forest.Conduct a risk analysis of the susceptibility of the trees to pests and diseases.The recommendations from this study include:Continuing to plant a wide diversity of species and consider producing a tree planting strategy.Retaining large, mature trees wherever possible.Increasing planting in areas that are lacking in canopy cover to improve green equity.Using CAVAT to highlight amenity values to developers and communities.Setting up community tree care schemes to engage local people and help to ensure the good health of young trees.Using the data within this report to inform further reports, strategies, and policies.

Physical (non-monetary) and monetary estimates of services provided by natural assets in the UK between 1998 and 2018.

Ecosystem attribution scoring table.