Nature loss will cut UK GDP by 5% without action from private sector, say experts

Oakley farm near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire follows regenerative agricultural practices to combat soil degradation. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

The degradation of nature in the UK will lop nearly 5% off the country’s GDP if the private sector does not make a greater effort to halt the decline, experts have warned.

Conversely, investing in nature can produce economic returns for companies in a range of sectors, from manufacturing and construction to food, according to a report from the Green Finance Institute (GFI) and WWF.