A New Global Language for Natural Resources

A group of researchers from the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) have developed a new environmental classification system to fully categorize the renewable and non-renewable natural resources that underpin our economies. This represents a critical first step in being better able to measure, monitor and manage these assets.

“Before this there was no single system for classifying all aspects of nature, so everyone was reporting it in different ways. Now both the public and private sector can use the same language, ultimately leading to  more consistent and holistic decision-making,” says lead author Katie Leach, Senior Programme Officer in UNEP-WCMC’s Business and Biodiversity team.

This system is central to ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure), an online tool that enables users to visualise how the economy depends on nature and how environmental change creates risk for businesses.