It’s often said that official statistics only measure the value of things with a price tag. But the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is part of an international movement that’s going ‘Beyond GDP’, including in its figures all of the things that contribute to our national and personal well-being, including the environment.
As data from the Office for National Statistics today reveal that 1.1 million fewer people have been gaining health benefits from spending time in nature since the pandemic, we speak to National Statistician Sir Ian Diamond about the value of our outdoor spaces.
Our data tells us that a trees’ ability to store carbon is more valuable than its timber.
The value of health in 2023
The latest data released today by the Office for National Statistics show fewer people across the UK gained health benefits from spending time in nature in 2022 compared with two years earlier.
The value of those lost health benefits was estimated at around £390 million, equivalent to £356 per person on average. That is how much it is thought the NHS would be willing to spend if it used treatments to achieve equivalent health benefits to those gained from time spent in nature.
This drop in health benefits was also equivalent to more than 22,000 years of life in perfect health lost across people in the UK. These findings form part of our 'UK natural capital accounts: 2023', released today, which estimate the value of our natural wealth, and what it provides for future generations.
What is natural capital?
Any natural resource or process that supports human life, society, and the economy is an important part of our natural capital, and that includes lots of things, from the productivity of our soils to our access to clean water and green spaces.
Natural capital accounting estimates the current value of natural wealth we and future generations can glean from plants, rivers, peat land and many other natural resources, in a similar way to how we measure GDP.
The new data shows that the total value of the UK’s natural environment was £1.5 trillion. When measuring natural capital, we take account of its potential uses and benefits. For example, our data tells us that a trees’ ability to store carbon is more valuable than its timber.
Natural capital accounting estimates the current value of natural wealth we and future generations can glean from plants, rivers, peat land and many other natural resources, in a similar way to how we measure GDP.
We know what our predecessor Arthur Cecil Pigou, builder of the School of Economics at the University of Cambridge, would say about important insights such as this. In the 1920s he used the example of city housewives washing their clothes in more polluted areas having to spend more on laundry to emphasise the need for us to factor natural resources into our economic analysis. His work contributed to early discussions about the intersection of economics and the environment, laying the groundwork for the concept of natural capital. Sometimes the cost of harming nature is not fully accounted for in economic activities, and this is a real challenge in environmental policymaking. Often, the negative impacts on the environment or public health are not reflected in the costs borne by those responsible for the damage.
Pricing up nature
So, what does nature do for us, and how do we measure that? Already, we estimate its contribution to the economy and society, and this year we’ve even produced data broken down for all four UK nations. For example, Scotland is home to most of the UK’s mountainous habitats, while England features the most enclosed farmland. This includes provisioning services such as food and water, regulating services such as pollution removal, and cultural services such as recreation and enjoyment of nature.
In 2021, the latest year with complete data, the total annual value for the ecosystem services we are currently able to measure was £47 billion (2022 prices). By accurately gauging environmental harm and benefits, we can enhance our ability to manage the ecosystem effectively, leading to improved outcomes for society.
I believe we should measure not only economic worth but also the serenity found in the rustle of leaves and the embrace of natural spaces
We know spending time in nature can have a positive effect on health and well-being. And yet between April 2020 and March 2023, the proportion of adults who said they had not spent time in nature in the previous fortnight because of being busy at work or at home, or because of poor physical health, have all increased. It’s insight like this that can help us to enact the policy needed to support people’s access to nature.
From my own experience, when I’m walking in the great outdoors, I pause to take notice of what’s around me and feel the pressures of everyday life ebb away. This held particularly true when I was counting the cost of covid – a time when connecting with nature felt more important than ever. This has continued to be an incredibly important facet of my life. Whether I am walking from Settle to Carlisle, or taking an icy dip in the sea, being in nature is one of the most remarkable mental boosts for me and my family. So, it’s certainly disheartening to see the latest data show fewer people across the UK gained health benefits from spending time in nature in 2022 compared with two years earlier.
What next?
One study found that people who spend an average of two hours or more per week in nature over a year are more likely to report being in good, or very good, health. While a recent report published by The Wildlife Trusts found that “green prescribing”, whereby people are referred to nature-based programmes, can improve physical and mental health. Dom Higgins, the Trusts’ head of health and education, said that mental health was one of the areas where contact with nature could have the most positive effect and that it’s been shown to particularly tackle mild to moderate depression, feelings of stress, and anxiety.
All of this understanding empowers us to support policymakers to craft more well-informed decisions regarding our use of nature, and being able to put data into a wider context to explain trade-offs and synergies is the key benefit of having a wide-ranging national statistics institute.
As the National Statistician and lover of the outdoors, I believe we should measure not only economic worth but also the serenity found in the rustle of leaves and the embrace of natural spaces, for in those moments, we discover the true value of nature and the vast gifts it offers our society.
Words: Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician