We are profoundly concerned by the suggestions that nature regulations might be relaxed....Now is the time for the economy to embrace solutions, to make good regulation work for the UK, and not to throw in the towel and accept lower standards. We stand ready to help businesses and the public sector, across the UK and the world, meet and exceed.
Today we have written to the UK Prime Minister and leaders of the opposition to outline our concerns around the Government’s proposed reforms to nature regulation. The letter outlines how existing technologies are the practical solution for making nature regulation easier to meet. This is not the time to take a step back – we must embrace innovation to ensure we maintain the foundation of our living planet on which the economy is built.
“By embracing proven new technology to track performance, regulators can ensure robust protection for both our economic and natural wealth. At NatureMetrics, we are making regulatory compliance easier and faster – providing better standards for measurement, reporting and verification of nature in the UK and across the world. Here at home, our technology has cut the costs of surveying for species like the Great Crested Newt by 75%.”
The technologies are available to support better decisions for business and nature and we urge the Prime Minister to consider these before policies are reformed or Environmental Land Management schemes abandoned.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
Westminster
London
SW1A 2AA
27th September 2022
Dear Prime Minister,
NatureMetrics is a fast growing, UK technology business, which has worked tirelessly for the last six years to drive more efficient nature data collection and species monitoring using cutting-edge eDNA technology. We help our clients meet environmental legislation and take better decisions for business and nature.
We are profoundly concerned by the suggestions that nature regulations might be relaxed or proposed changes to Environmental Land Management schemes abandoned. As the Dasgupta Review (commissioned by this current government) concluded: “the solution starts with understanding and accepting a simple truth: our economies are embedded within Nature, not external to it”.
It is clear that strong regulation for nature is vital for our economy, food security, our climate and our wellbeing. By embracing proven new technology to track performance, regulators can ensure robust protection for both our economic and natural wealth.
At NatureMetrics, we are making regulatory compliance easier and faster – providing better standards for measurement, reporting and verification of nature in the UK and across the world. Here at home, our technology has cut the costs of surveying for species like the Great Crested Newt by 75%. An ongoing Innovate UK-funded project promises to bring that cost down even further by enabling rapid in-field detection. The same technology can be used for everything from invasive species detection to assessment of soil biodiversity. It lets us monitor the progress of ecosystem restoration and identify pollution sources in rivers, all at a fraction of the cost and time of conventional methods and with far greater sensitivity.
We would like to invite you for a tour of our world-leading facilities in Guildford. You can see first-hand how we combine DNA sequencing technology with data science to unlock insights into the value of our natural capital and how to better protect it.
We welcome the opportunity to show you, as our political leader, that nature technology is a booming UK industry that holds huge value for our economy, our society and meeting the country’s sustainability targets. NatureMetrics alone is exporting to over 80 countries and has grown its team tenfold in the last three years. We believe now is the time for the economy to embrace solutions, to make good regulation work for the UK, and not to throw in the towel and accept lower standards.
As new global goals are set to be launched within the Global Biodiversity Framework in just a few weeks, we stand ready to help businesses and the public sector, across the UK and the world, meet and exceed nature regulations. We need our political leaders to create a race to the top, which unlocks the power and potential of technology to deliver environmental data. This innovation will keep the economy moving and also ensure we maintain the foundation of our living planet on which the economy is built.
Yours Sincerely,
Katie Critchlow
CEO, NatureMetrics
New guide from NatureMetrics reveals the importance of integrating site-based nature data into CSRD ESRS E4 disclosure for long-term sustainable operations.
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