CIEEM has written to Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, ahead of the Autumn Budget.

It warns that the UK is “sleepwalking into the collapse” of its £1.5 trillion natural asset, highlighting the economic risks of ongoing environmental degradation. CIEEM argues that ignoring the decline of natural capital could trigger GDP losses of up to 12% within a decade, comparable to the 2008 financial crisis.

The letter calls on the Treasury to recognise nature as critical economic infrastructure and proposes three key funding measures:

• £300 million Ecological Capacity and Skills Fund – to embed ecologists in planning authorities and agencies, boosting delivery and reducing legal risk.
• £200 million for Nature-Based Solutions Pilots – to invest in floodplain restoration, peatland recovery, and urban greening.
• £150 million Habitat Bank Seed and Market Development Fund – to grow biodiversity credit markets and attract private investment.

These are high-return investments that will strengthen the economy, create green jobs and protect communities.

CIEEM urges the Chancellor to use the Autumn Budget to “turn the tide before it’s too late.”