Natural capital is the stock of natural ecosystems that yields a flow of valuable ecosystem goods or services into the future. It is the extension of the economic notion of capital (manufactured means of production) to goods and services relating to the natural environment. For example, a stock of trees or fish provides a flow of new trees or fish, a flow which can be indefinitely sustainable. Natural capital may also provide services like recycling wastes or water catchment and erosion control. Since the flow of services from ecosystems requires that they function as whole systems, the structure and diversity of the system are important components of natural capital. — Wikipedia
Natural Capital is the value of nature. It can be defined as the world’s stocks of natural assets that we benefit from. Natural Capital matters because every single business in the world not only impacts on nature, but relies on it.
So the degradation of ecosystems that we see today creates a real risk for companies, now and into the future. But where there is risk, there is also opportunity — secure natural resources, to save costs, to manage future risks and engage people and companies throughout the value chain.
