Microeconomic evidence for the benefits of investment in the environment, first report (NERR033) (2012) and second report (NERR057) (2014)
(England)
The Microeconomic Evidence for the Benefits of Investment in the Environment Review (MEBIE) was first issued in March 2012 and then updated and published as MEBIE2 in June 2014.
Its original purpose was to help Natural England staff make the case for the natural environment to decision makers such as Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships. Its intended audience has now widened to include anyone involved in decision making which affects the natural environment. It makes interesting reading for those involved in the design of new developments.
It relates the benefits of the natural environment to social welfare, economic growth and climate change adaptation, and deals in particular with economic competitiveness and the services provided by nature.
Of the many topics dealt with in the review, one is the effect of the natural environment on house prices. It states that there is “strong evidence that there is a price premium for houses closer to greenspace and with a higher amount of greenspace nearby”.