natural capital  

The UK government's Natural Capital Committee has produced the State of Natural Capital Report 2013 - taking an economic view of natural resources and ecosystem services. The Committee states:

"The evidence that exists indicates we are failing to conserve our natural capital assets and invest in them adequately. In many cases we are increasingly demanding more from them while at the same time eroding their capacity to deliver. The risk is that rather than underpinning future growth and prosperity, degraded natural capital assets will act as a break [sic] on progress and development. Furthermore, by failing to invest adequately in maintenance and enhancement, we risk missing opportunities that better management and stewardship of natural capital can offer."

And goes on to make recommendations on better measurement of natural capital; incorporation into national accounting; improved policy tools for decision-making and other topics.  It also asserts that effective valuation and conservation of assets is good for economic growth