This report was produced to support a Natural Capital Strategy for North Devon, planned for adoption by partners involved in North Devon Landscape Pioneer later in 2019.
It was commissioned by Natural England in response to fears that several key habitats in North Devon – providing essential services to the wellbeing of people and wildlife in the area – were under pressure and that these pressures could be addressed, using natural capital approaches, by making a case for more and better co-ordinated investment.
Making the case to a wider set of investors, private companies and other organisations for investment that builds natural capital – the environmental assets of nature that provide life-support services and well-being – is difficult. A healthy environment is first and foremost a public good. Most of the investment to protect and improve natural capital is provided by either publicly funded environmental budgets, charitable giving or from responses to correct damage, in line with the polluter pays principle.
