Economic value of nature has increased by 50 percent in one decade
The natural environment plays a role in our economy and our well-being. The socio-economic value of ecosystem services indicates how our society uses nature and the benefits that nature provides. These figures only relate to one aspect of the value of nature - namely, the value that people derive directly from nature. They do not tell us anything about the state of ecosystems or how sustainable the way in which we are currently using nature is.
The natural capital accounts provide data on the current physical state of ecosystems (scale and quality), as well as information on the contribution that ecosystem services make to our well-being and our economy.
| Jaartal | Cultural services (billion euros) | Regulating services (billion euros) | Productive services (billion euros) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 6.96 | 1.97 | 1.15 |
| 2014 | 7.08 | 2.00 | 1.15 |
| 2015 | 7.03 | 2.10 | 1.35 |
| 2016 | 7.38 | 2.17 | 1.53 |
| 2017 | 8.07 | 2.28 | 1.36 |
| 2018 | 8.85 | 2.36 | 1.14 |
| 2019 | 9.04 | 2.36 | 1.26 |
| 2020 | 8.64 | 2.45 | 1.20 |
| 2021 | 11.52 | 2.50 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | 11.22 | 2.61 | 1.28 |
Rising prices and increased demand have led to an increase in the value of cultural ecosystem services
The value of cultural ecosystem services was over 60 percent higher in 2022 than it was in 2013. The value of productive and regulating ecosystem services has also increased, but less sharply. Productive ecosystem services contribute to our supplies of food and timber. Regulating ecosystem services include carbon sequestration in trees and plants, pollination by insects and the protection function of coastal sand dunes, for example.A significant share of the increase (+38 percent) came from an increase in prices for ecosystem services, for example, higher spending on recreational activities in nature or increased rents for agricultural land. There was also increased demand for ecosystem services (+12 percent), such as recreation or people’s desire to live in a green environment.
In 2021, the value of ecosystem services increased sharply compared to the previous year. This was mainly because people spent much more time walking and taking part in other activities in nature due to the restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic.
Forests provide the most value
Forests provide the highest value of ecosystem services at €4.7 billion, followed by grassland (€3.0 billion), arable land and horticultural areas, and dunes and coastal areas (both €1.6 billion). Forests contribute a great deal to various ecosystem services, including recreation, nature tourism and carbon sequestration. Forests also cover a larger area than other ecosystem types, such as heathland and drifting sand.
Dunes and coastal areas contribute a great deal in terms of recreation and coastal flood protection, and also have a high value per hectare. However, because they make up comparatively small areas, their total value is lower than that of forests.
Urban green spaces, such as parks and public gardens, are located in or near densely populated areas and therefore provide opportunities for recreation, a green living environment and cooling during periods of hot weather. This means that they make a relatively large contribution at 1.1 billion euros, despite their smaller area.
| Area | Waarde (mld euro) |
|---|---|
| Forests | 4.66 |
| Grassland | 2.97 |
| Arable land and horticulture | 1.61 |
| Dunes and coastal areas | 1.58 |
| Urban green space and recreation | 1.12 |
| Lakes and reservoirs | 0.79 |
| Rivers and canals | 0.70 |
| Marshland and moorland | 0.47 |
| Urban areas | 0.40 |
| Heathland and drifting sand | 0.38 |
The benefits we receive from nature far exceed the amounts spent on nature management
In 2022, 1.6 billion euros was spent on nature management in the Netherlands. These were the costs of managing and maintaining natural areas by the government and private organisations such as Natuurmonumenten, the purchase of land to create new natural areas, and expenses incurred by farmers to preserve biodiversity on their land.The benefits of the ecosystem services provided by natural or semi-natural ecosystems were over six times higher in that year (€10.1 billion). This means that the social and economic benefits that we derive from nature far exceed the costs of managing and maintaining our natural environment.