Ecosystem Integrity

Ecosystem integrity refers to the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure, function, and resilience over time.

Natural capital markets trade in ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, water purification, and biodiversity conservation. 

The concept of ecosystem integrity is important in natural capital markets because it ensures that the ecosystem services being traded are real and lead to lasting positive change.

To build trust and confidence in nature markets, it is essential that they have integrity at their core, which means that the environmental benefits being provided are measurable, using consistent and transparent methodologies. 

The UK is currently exploring ways to establish equitable, transparent, high-integrity, and standardised markets for both land and marine natural capital. 

The goal is to create a market environment that can reverse the decline in the UK’s natural capital as part of an inclusive and just transition to a nature-positive, net-zero economy.

Achieving Ecosystem Integrity is viewed as the key driver of 'value-add' for buyers of credits seeking to do more than simply offset their carbon at the lowest price-point possible. Achieving a high level of Ecosystem Integrity can be perceived to be more complex and 'non-standard', and so it is critical that such projects are underpinned by high Financial, Stakeholder and Solution Integrity too.