Valuing Nature Network (VNN) Director, Steve Albon, introduces the first meeting of the peatland VNN project, 18th January 2012

1. NERC Interdisciplinary Network for Valuing Biodiversity,
Ecosystem Services & Natural Resource Use
The Valuing Nature Network
(VNN)
www.valuing-nature.net
Assessing and valuing peatland ecosystem services for sustainable management
Leeds 18th January 2012

2. Contemporary Context
National Ecosystem Natural Environment Water
Assessment (UK-NEA) White Paper White Paper
”A vision for future water
“Applying the ecosystem service “Aims to mainstream the management in which water
framework across the UK” value of nature across our is valued as the precious and
society” finite resource it is”

3. Context – Land Use Strategy (Scotland)
Vision
A Scotland where we fully recognise,
understand and value the importance of our
land resources, and where our plans and
decisions about land use deliver improved
and enduring benefits, enhancing the
wellbeing of our nation.
Objectives
• Land based businesses working with nature
to contribute more to Scotland’s prosperity
• Responsible stewardship of Scotland’s
natural resources delivering more benefits
to Scotland’s people
• Urban and rural communities better
connected to the land, with more
people enjoying the land and positively
influencing land use

4. Network Objectives
1. Building a new community by bridging research disciplines and
engaging stakeholders
• To date nearly 600 people have joined the Network with most taking
part in intensive workshops, town meetings and the wider research
community meetings in 2011
• Synergies and integration established through eight working groups/
projects funded by NERC and Defra.
• Engagement with major UK private and public institutions, the national
and international research community.
o Ninth project with multi-national business imminent.
2. Developing a new science agenda
• The novel science questions that form the basis of both the current
phase and the foundations for the next phase of VNN were forged within
the workshops and have the ownership of the entire community.

5. Conceptual Framework
Drivers of Change Natural Resources
Policy & management Air, land water, biodiversity
Socio-economic
Environmental Ecosystem Services
(including external (Supporting, Regulating, Provisioning, Cultural)
pressures)
Other
Capital Goods for people
(manufactured,
human, etc)
Individual Collective shared
wellbeing values wellbeing values
Governance
Implementation
Global, EU, State, Private sector and other actors
Regulation etc.
VALUATION
Scale, place and time sensitive
Monetary valuation of market Non-monetary assessments
& non-market goods (quantitative & qualitative)
Economic (£) Health (+/-) Shared social
values (/)
Decisions

6. Current Co-constructed Challenges
• How can the complexity of socio-ecological systems be
incorporated into valuations of biodiversity, ecosystem
services and natural resource use?
• How can stock sustainability be incorporated within
valuations of biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural
resource use?
• How can issues of scale be incorporated within valuations of
biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural resource use?
• How do we integrate information on values obtained from
the natural sciences, economics and other social sciences into
governance and so improve decision making and how can
such improved decisions be implemented effectively?

7. Projects funded
Interdisciplinary methods to build a socio-ecological decision-making tool to inform
marine governance and policy
Susan Chilton (Newcastle)
BRIDGE: Bridging the gap between supply and demand for valuation evidence
Mike Christie (Aberystwyth)
Scale dependence of stocks and flows in the valuation of ecosystem services
Laurence Jones (CEH)
Valuing the impacts of ecosystem service interactions for policy effectiveness
Alistair McVittie (SAC)
Capturing differentiated experience of change to ensure pro-poor ecosystem service
interventions are fit for purpose
E.J. Milner-Gulland (Imperial College)
Assessing and valuing peatland ecosystem services for sustainable management
Mark Reed (Aberdeen), Aletta Bonn (IUCN), Klaus Glenk, (SAC)
Chris Evans (CEH)
Interdisciplinary quantitative ecosystem services team (INQUEST)
Ron Smith (CEH)
Environmental and ecological economics and management
Kerry Turner (UEA)
NEED TO BE MORE THAN A SET OF CASE STUDIES!

8. What are the generic lessons?
Drivers of Change Natural Resources
Policy & management Air, land water, biodiversity
Socio-economic
Environmental Ecosystem Services
(including external (Supporting, Regulating, Provisioning, Cultural)
pressures)
Other
Capital Goods for people
(manufactured,
human, etc)
Individual Collective shared
wellbeing values wellbeing values
Governance
Implementation
Global, EU, State, Private sector and other actors
Regulation etc.
VALUATION
Scale, place and time sensitive
Monetary valuation of market Non-monetary assessments
& non-market goods (quantitative & qualitative)
Economic (£) Health (+/-) Shared social
values (/)
Decisions

9. Looking forward: Centenary of the
British Ecological Society
Symposium proposal - Valuing Nature: progress towards
a more comprehensive valuation of natural capital and
ecosystem service benefits for society

10. VNN2: Continuing valuation research
Although we are still many months away from a formal bid for funding we are
in discussions with NERC and other funders in the LWEC partnership. Many
key players have already pledged their support further work on valuation,
these include members of NERC Science and Innovation Strategy Board,
leaders within the policy, private sector and NGO/third sector fields.