For the first time, we have a comprehensive idea of nature’s financial worth: the National Ecosystem Assessment
carried out an intensive study of the UK’s natural environment and how it benefits Britain’s economic prosperity. The result: nature is very important to the UK. According to the study, nature provides Britain with tens of billions of pounds in services every year – all for free.

Hundreds of experts in economics, social sciences and ecology worked together to assess different aspects of the UK’s ecosystems across a series of habitats, like woodlands and cities and farms. Those ecosystems provide services like water purification and crop fertilization that are extremely important to an economy, even when we don’t realize it.

The environment ministry says the study will help shape the UK’s environmental policy. But it’s also important to stock of the state of Britain’s natural wealth: 30% of the natural services they studied are suffering because of climate change.

What is nature worth in your country?

It looks like the UK is set to get its first ever 'green energy park' in the near future. Developers have struck a deal to create a huge plant that will produce energy and recycle large amounts of waste. Different types of trash will be separated and turned into things like glass, building blocks and even some metals.

 

A Malaysian manufacturing group called KNM will operating the park, and developers plan to open a whole network of energy parks around the UK. The idea is to phase out the concept of landfills and introduce a green-friendly way to manage waste.

 

It could also produce energy for more than 50,000 homes–all while releasing little to no emissions. Plus, it's expected to be a boost to the local economy because the plant will create a lot of new jobs.