8 January 2026
A new policy paper from the Institute for Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP), titled Natural Capital is Critical Infrastructure, calls for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of natural capital to be placed at the heart of the UK’s economic growth and national resilience strategy.
Developed by ISEP’s Biodiversity and Natural Capital Network with support from Jacobs, the paper argues that natural capital should be formally recognized as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).
The paper highlights that the UK’s economic success is fundamentally dependent on natural capital - the stocks of nature such as forests, rivers, biodiversity, land, and minerals - which provide essential ecosystem services vital for human well-being and economic stability.
In 2022, UK ecosystem services were valued at £1.8 trillion, equivalent to 72% of GDP. Conversely, environmental degradation poses a severe economic risk, with potential losses of 6–12% of GDP by the 2030s. Declining natural capital undermines resilience and threatens critical resources like food and water.
While some policies acknowledge natural capital - such as the 25 Year Environment Plan and water sector mandates - adopting a natural capital approach across sectors remains largely voluntary. The paper warns that without “natural renewal,” there can be no “national renewal.”
Natural capital meets the established definition of CNI because its loss or compromise would severely impact essential services, economic stability, and national security. It also underpins the resilience of many existing CNI sectors, including food, water, health, transport, and communications.
