The Value of Species Data in England

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Ian DIckie, eftec, UK

The value of environmental data is underexplored even though some studies have highlighted the significant benefits of collating data and the need for investment to support its use in decision-making.

In 2021, eftec and eCountability led a study, published by the Cabinet Office Geospatial Commission, on the benefits and costs of the species data pathway in England. A data pathway manages the flow of species data from where it is first collected into a form that is suitable and accessible for use in decision-making (e.g. through collating, verification and storage). The benefits of having the existing species data pathway relate to the improved decision-making it can inform. Species data plays a role in directing £billions of investment in the natural environment each year in the UK.

The study quantifies benefits to: (i) biodiversity, water framework directive and agricultural policies; (ii) management of invasive species; (iii) the land use planning system; (iv) reduced data search time; and (v) volunteering. Comparisons to the costs (covering the pathway’s capital, operating and user costs) suggest that the benefits of the species data pathway outweigh the estimated costs by over 10:1. This suggests that better investment in the species data system, such as implementing the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-useable) data principles, is a highly beneficial use of public money.

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About Ian Dickie

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Ian is a Director at eftec. His work covers natural capital accounting and investments, and the impacts of biodiversity and environmental policies. He has led the development of over 30 natural capital accounts for organisations in the public, private and third sectors. He managed over £2.5million of research for the UK Government, including the production of UK ecosystem accounts, economic analysis in impact assessments for multiple suites of MPA designations in Scotland; modelling of the expected BNG market; and economic evidence for prioritising investment in natural capital. Further, he led the development of Greater Manchester’s Natural Capital Investment Plan, and is an author of the Natural Capital Protocol, and UNDP’s 2016 Biodiversity finance guide.

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Delivering Connective Nature Based Solutions: Barriers Faced by Farmers and Potential Solutions 

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Diane Burgess, AFBI, Northern Ireland

Creating networks of Nature Based Solutions (NBS), such as riparian zones and the planting of trees/ wildflower margins have the potential to deliver economic benefits to both landowners and wider society, the latter attracting funding from agri-environment schemes. This presentation provides highlights from the Interreg project “ALICE” which explored the barriers facing the implementation of NBS and identifies potential solutions. It reports the findings of a qualitative study of landowners undertaken within the Carlingford Lough Catchment which lies on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, identifying the barriers faced by farmers and the potential role of intermediaries in the development of connective-NBS.

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About Diane Burgess

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Diane is an environmental economist working on the interface between the environment and economics, providing evidence to support policy makers in Northern Ireland to bring the environment into decision making. Natural capital is central to her work. She is particularly interested in the relationship between the environment and society from an economic perspective. For her, society and environment are not separate entities: "what we do as humans affects the environment as much as it affects us". Her work involves exploring these links to improve valuation studies and to understand the barriers and solutions faced by the providers of ecosystem services.

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Ecological and Economic Implications of Alternative Metrics in Biodiversity Offset Markets 

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Nicholas Hanley, Professor at the University of Glasgow, UK

Biodiversity offsets are increasingly seen as a valuable tool for achieving net gain or no net loss targets in the face of development pressures on land. One of the key design parameters of markets for offset credits is the metric, or currency, which they are traded in – in other words, how are biodiversity gains and losses quantified? Using an ecological-economic modelling framework, our study shows that there are significant economic and ecological implications depending on whether a habitat-based or a species-based metric is chosen. This research is part funded by the European Commission under the Effect project (817903). The paper is a joint work with Katherine Simpson, Paul Armsworth, Martin Dallimer and Frans de Vries.

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About Nicholas Hanley 

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Nick Hanley is Professor of Environmental and One Health Economics at the University of Glasgow. The research group specializes in the application of economic methods to biodiversity conservation, human and animal disease management, invasive species, and sustainable development. He is assistant editor of Resource and Energy Economics, Q Open (an Open Access Journal of Agriculture, Climate, Environmental, Food, Resource, and Rural Development Economics) and Ecological Economics. He is a member of Defra’s Science Advisory Council.