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The UK has long been a leader
of change.
In the Industrial Revolution, the UK
was a trailblazer of new ideas that
created jobs, goods and services
and improved the lives of millions of
people, changing the world forever.
We call this economic growth.
But that growth came at the expense
of nature. To fuel our economic
appetite we used up natural assets,
like coal, gas, green spaces and
wetlands. 100,000 hectares of UK
wetlands were destroyed every year
between 1840 and 1880 to clear
the way for development and that
destruction has continued. Each year,
we took more from our environment
and from our children’s inheritance
without investing in the natural assets
that will sustain their future.
Now the UK is at the forefront of
a new change. We are pioneering
a new way of thinking that
recognises nature as the bedrock
of our economy. There would be
no economic growth without fertile
soil, breathable air, clean water and
thriving habitats and species.
We call this our natural wealth,
or “natural capital”.
Wetlands and the wildlife they
support are a key component of
our natural wealth. At WWT, our
mission is to protect and restore
wetlands because they are fabulous.
They sustain our wildlife and enrich
our lives. But we appreciate more
than ever that our wetlands are
also integral to our economy and
social wellbeing.