Valuing Ecosystems - Executive Summary 2012

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A research project to understand the value

placed on ecosystems and their services by

different sectors and to identify ways to alignenvironmental protection with the priorities

and activities of other sectors

Sustainable Northern Ireland

April 2012

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


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Valuing EcosystemsPAGE 2

In December 2011, the Environment Minister announced

the availability of funding that had been saved through

resource and energy efficiencies within the Department.

This money was distributed to environmental NGOs to

carry out projects supporting NIEAs goals.

The NIEA Challenge Fund is a pilot programme for

eNGOs to demonstrate their ability to deliver important

environmental outcomes, excellent value for money and

the ability to work to a tight budget within a very short

timescale.

In order to qualify for funding each project was assessed

against NIEAs goals:

1. The sustainable use and protection of our natural

resources

2. Improved conservation and management of our

natural heritage

3. Improved conservation and protection of our built

heritage

4. Better public awareness and understanding of the

environment


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Valuing Ecosystems

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i. The aim of this report is to make recommendations on

how ecosystems and the services they provide can be

better communicated across sectors to encourage

organisations to consider the impact (positive and

negative) their business operations have on the natural

environment.

ii. The UK National Ecosystems Assessment (NEA) wascompleted in 2011 and provides a comprehensive

overview of the state of the natural environment and

highlights the range of services provided by it.

iii. Ecosystem Services are defined as services provided

by the natural environment that benefit people.

Ecosystem services provide outputs or outcomes that

directly or indirectly affect human well-being and that

contribute significantly to our ability to create wealth

and prosperity.

iv. Some of the services provided by ecosystems are

easily understood such as food, fibre and fuel

provision. Ecosystems are also important due to their

cultural significance and peoples appreciation of

nature increases through recreation. Services that are

not as commonly recognised include regulation of the

climate, purification of air and water, flood prevention,

soil formation and nutrient cycling.

v. The Northern Ireland chapter of the UK NEA

demonstrated the relevance of ecosystems and showed

their importance to Northern Ireland's economy.

Ecosystem services contribute to economic prosperity

by enabling us to generate income. Ecosystem services

also help to prevent damage that can incur financial

expenditure e.g. flooding.

vi. This study into how different sectors perceive the

natural environment, and its relevance to them, shows

that while people are aware of the importance of

ecosystems there is a gap between their understanding

of the theory behind ecosystems and their ability to

develop their role in protecting, promoting and using

these services to their advantage.

The purpose of this research project is to increase

understanding of how different sectors (government,

community and business) value the environment and

recognise the importance of the services provided by

ecosystems to their organisations.

The Project has three key objectives:

1. To understand what value stakeholders place on

ecosystems and the services they provide;

2. To understand different sectors priorities and what

scope there is to align these with environmental policy;

and

3. To identify what support and resources are necessary

to help sectors adopt an Ecosystems Approach to theirown decision making processes.

Data were gathered using both quantitative and

qualitative methodologies. Quantitative data were

gathered using an online survey format with questions

geared towards understanding how ecosystem services

and environmental policy are aligned with organisational

priorities.

This was followed up qualitatively by conducting

interviews with key stakeholders from each sector. The

interviews were designed to gain further understanding of

the obstacles facing different sectors and identify solutions

that are forward thinking and innovative but that are also

both practical and realistic.

Project Background & Key Objectives

Research Methodology


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Mountains,

Moors and

Heaths

This is one of the most abundent habitats within Northern Ireland and includes

mountain ranges, for example the Mournes in Co. Down and Sperrins in Co. Tyrone.

Northern Ireland is rich in upland blanket bog, heath, fen and dense pockets of

bracken. Often this habitat is used for grazing of livestock and has high recreational

value.

Woodlands

Northern Irelands tree cover is predominately planted conifers with some

broadleaf and mixed woodlands containing scrub. Woodlands provide many

ecosystem services, namely raw products such as timber, supporting services such as

carbon sequestration and cultural services such as recreation and leisure activities.

Northern Ireland has the least amount of woodland cover in the EU.

Semi-

Natural

Grasslands

Areas of semi-natural grassland are largely neutral grasslands with pockets of rich

wet grassland, acidic hill grassland and wildflower meadows. Many sites have been

designated because of flora such a wood cranesbills which has NI, UK and EU

importance. Often sites have multiple designations. This area has an agricultural

value but has recently gone into decline.

Enclosed

Farmlands

Farmland is predominately for grass production in Northern Ireland, with some

areas for crop and arable production. There has been a change in agricultural

output with decreasing arable farming and more intensive livestock grazing

regimes. This has resulted in pollution of rivers and high greenhouse gas emissions.

Open

Waters and

Wetlands

Northern Ireland has two main water bodies, Lough Neagh and Lough Erne, plus

rivers and raised bogs. Water bodies such as these provide huge recreational

attraction and biodiversity benefits. Many of Northern Irelands wetlands have EU

and UK importance.

UrbanNorthern Ireland has several cities, Belfast (the capital), Londonderry (City ofCulture 2013), Lisburn, Armagh and Newry. Urban areas provide a small amounts

of green space for recreation creating health and well-being benefits.

Coastal

Margins

Coastal margins include sea cliffs, beaches, lagoons and sand dunes which have

high biodiversity value within Northern Ireland. Coastal areas provide services such

as recreation and tourism.

Marine

Northern Ireland has a species-rich marine environment, with Strangford Lough and

Rathlin Island having the highest marine biodiversity value. There remains a fishing

industry but recent decline of fin fish stocks makes prawns the main catch. Thishabitat is a great pull for cultural and tourism benefits to Northern Ireland economy.

There are eight broad categories of ecosystems within the UK as a baseline for information for ecosystem services.


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Clockwise from top left: Mountains, Moors & Heaths;

Enclosed Farmlands; Semi-natural Grasslands; Open Waters

and Wetlands; Marine; and Coastal Margins; Urban; andWoodlands

The National Ecosystem Assessment Northern Ireland

(NEA NI) was part of a UK-wide, two year project that

assessed the state of our natural environment and its

ecosystems. Over 70 scientists from a wide range of

organisations contributed. The report, completed in

2011, provided a comprehensive overview of the state

of the natural environment and highlights the vastrange of services provided by it.

An ecosystem is an interdependent system of living

things (plants, micro-organisms and animals including

people) in their physical environment (NEA NI, p.5).

Therefore ecosystems are not individual systems but

interact and overlap. It is important for ecosystems to

become resilient to change as over the past 100-200

years human activity has been intensified by heavy

industry, agricultural activities and steered by economic

growth.Sustainable Northern Irelands research project takes

on board the recommendations made by the NEA but

seeks to establish the level of understanding which

currently exists among organisations regarding

ecosystems services. If the recommendations within the

NEA are to progress then the knowledge and

acceptance of the services that ecosystems undertake

for us, and how these relate to various sectors, will

need to increase.


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The analysis of the data gathered shows that

environmental policy and legislation have an impact on

most organisations. However, each respondents

understanding of ecosystems varies considerably. There is

a gap between individuals knowing what ecosystems are

and being able to relate the services they provide back

to their own organisations. Some respondents are of theopinion that the services provided by ecosystems are

unimportant and inconsequential to how their organisation

functions.

The recommendations identified during this research

project fall into three categories: improving knowledge,

helping to adopt an ecosystems approach and

identification of more targeted research.

The eight key recommendations are:

1. Increase awareness and knowledge

2. Develop sector specific messages and support packages

3. Link environmental messages to organisational priorities

4. Develop consistent messages

5. Co-ordinate action across sectors and issues

6. Help organisations realise the significance of ecosystems in

creating wealth and employment

7. Integrate environmental impacts within wider decision

making frameworks8. Research organisational priorities and links to

environmental services

The research suggests that better planning is needed to

communicate environmental messages and that, while

messages need to be consistent in what they are

conveying, they also need to be tailored to relate

specifically to each sector and type of organisation.

More work and understanding is needed to convey the

importance of ecosystems in creating wealth and the

impact organisations have on this, as well as how

interfering with natural cycles can lead to loss of wealth

through insurance claims and remediation costs.

Chart i: Key

requirements

needed to

increase

awareness and

integration of

EcosystemServices with

organisational

priorities


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Valuing Ecosystems

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Figure i: Weighted ranking to assess respondents understanding of what services ecosystems provide for us

Many respondents are confident about their general

knowledge of ecosystems but this understanding is not

always supported when questioned in more detail.

Respondents understand the value of biodiversity and therole that ecosystems have within this. They are less aware

of the importance of ecosystems in regulating our climate

or providing us with the ability to generate wealth. Some

of the monetary aspects of ecosystems are less well

accepted such as generating income via cultural heritage

or saving expenditure due to ecosystems roles in

alleviating flooding.

The consensus from respondents is that environmental

issues tend to be a role for one person within an

organisation and that this remit does not cross

organisational roles or responsibilities.

Some respondents, in particular government, indicate that

their role is in protecting the environment and ecosystems

for their citizens but they do not go on to recognise the

services that ecosystems provide for their organisation.

While many respondents understand the value and

benefits provided by woodland ecosystems, they are less

aware of those provided by coastal margins and marine

environments. The research indicates that more needs to

be done to promote the value of all habitats and

ecosystems in terms of what they do for us, i.e. people,

communities and businesses.

The importance of the environment for health and well-

being is recognised and this may be the hook needed to

promote further understanding.


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Sectors need more specific

information and support to explain

exactly what services ecosystems

provide them. More information isneeded on both the direct and

indirect services and how the

actions of each sector impacts on

the ability of each ecosystem to

continue to provide services.

The Ecosystems Approach needs to

link with existing agendas, both

environmental and ones that are

priorities within organisations,

rather than as a new concept. If it

is promoted as a new issue

organisations will not understand

how it relates to other issues such

as climate change and biodiversity

loss and therefore will not

understand their role.

Chart ii: Examples of how sectors canadopt an Ecosystems Approach


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Figure ii: The percentage of respondents who

ranked each type of policy/ legislation as

most important

Respondents do value the environment and recognise its significance.

Figure ii demonstrates that people place a high degree of

importance on environmental legislation. However, when this is

compared to the tends of organisational priorities (see chart iii)

environmental protection drops down the list of priorities. Figure iii

shows that when a weighted average is applied to the results that

respondents do not think that environmental legislation is as important

as other types of legislation such as health and safety regulations.

In order to increase the value placed on environmental legislation, in

policy as well as in practice, the benefits need to be linked with other

organisational priorities such as customer service, economic

sustainability and corporate responsibility that tended to trend higher

with respondents.

Resources, staff and knowledge are identified as reasons why

organisations do not have more regard for environmental legislation.

Demonstrating that the Ecosystems Approach is compatible with andcan overcome efficiency issues is an essential element of the way

forward. There are knowledge gaps and evidence suggests that

respondents and their organisations often only have the capacity to

address individual types of environmental issues, such as recycling

and energy efficiency, rather than looking at the bigger picture.

Ecosystem Services and the

Ecosystems Approach are relatively

new terminologies that many

respondents have only heard forthe first time as a result of

participating in this Project. Better

marketing of how environmental

issues connect to one and other,

and with other priorities such as the

economy, is needed.

Figure iii: The weighted average rank applied to the importance of key pieces of

policy/ legislation (Lowest ranking = most important)

Trend of Organisational Priorities

Improving Customer Service

Economic Sustainability

Corporate Responsibility

Increasing Profits

Maintaining Health and Safety Standards

Meeting Targets

Being competitive

Environmental Protection

Technological Advancement

Staff Well Being LeastImportant>>>

MostIm

portant

Chart iii: Organisational Priorities

1The term #trending has increasingly

become popular due to social media

and is used to describe the issues that

many people are talking e.g What

issues several people raise as a

concern.


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This project surveyed and interviewed key stakeholders to

gather information that can be used to tailor future

messages about the importance of the natural

environment and the services it provides. The project was

set up in order to identify the issues and obstacles which

are experienced by non environmental sectors in trying to

understand the relevance of environmental policy to their

own organisational priorities.

The following conclusions have been reached:

This Project shows us that organisations do not understand

the impacts and specific benefits that ecosystems provide

them with. It is important to make it easy for organisations

to adopt an Ecosystems Approach and to communicate

with them the benefits and opportunities that may arise

from developing a better understanding of how natures

services directly impact on their organisations ability to

carry out its work. For example, better understanding is

needed of Ecosystems Services.


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Sustainable Northern Ireland works towardsan integrated and equal society based on theprinciples of sustainable development. Ourwork promotes the exchange of goodpractice and provides practical assistanceto help organisations, such as districtcouncils, realise and understand theimportance of embedding sustainabilityprinciples at the core of their business.Sustainable development is an importantmechanism to improve how decisions aremade and to increase efficiency acrossgovernment, business and communities.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYApril 2012
http://www.sustainableni.org/

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Valuing Ecosystems - Executive Summary 2012