The Environmental Industries Commission(EIC), part of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE Group), has launched a new industry-back roadmap calling for nature-based solutions to be treated as core infrastructure alongside road, rail and flood defences.

It has published Delivering Nature Infrastructure: A Three-Point Plan, which set out key proposals to recognise nature as infrastructure, join up government to deliver it and evidence its economic value.

According to EIC, nature-based solutions already deliver climate resilience, biodiversity gain, carbon sequestration and improved public health, frequently at lower whole-life cost than engineered alternatives.

However, the report states that they remain outside mainstream infrastructure planning, without the valuation frameworks, cross-government coordination or delivery structures that engineered assets use.

The organisation says with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) now operational the “moment is right” to make the case clearly, stating “nature is not a green add-on, it is one of our most cost-effective delivery mechanisms, and policy must reflect that”.

Milda Manomaityte, CEO of ACE Group, said: “The engineering and infrastructure sector has always understood that the best solutions work with nature, not against it. What’s needed now is the policy frameworks, investment signals and government coordination that reflect nature's true value.

“Nature already does an enormous amount of work for communities across the UK: absorbing flood water; cooling urban areas, protecting coastlines and locking in carbon. Yet the systems to measure, coordinate, and value nature's contribution remain underdeveloped. Our three point plan sets out to change that.”

Philippa Spence, managing director, environment and health at Ramboll, added: “The case for nature-based infrastructure has never been stronger, economically, environmentally and socially. What's been missing is the framework to embed it properly into planning and decision-making across government. Working with ACE and EIC on this plan, I'm confident we now have the start of something practical and deliverable.”

The three-point plan was launched at the EIC Parliamentary Reception held on 3 June. Click here to read more.