SPPS Strategic Planning Policy Statement Edition 2 (December 2025)·Page 14·3.15
Environmental Quality and Economic Benefits
High-quality environments and natural assets provide economic, health, and well-being benefits, including improved resilience to climate change through green infrastructure that reduces flooding and urban heat effects.
A great deal of progress has been made over recent years in understanding the role of the natural environment in contributing to our economic performance. Our environmental assets and a good quality environment provide benefits that enhance economic performance, offer new opportunities for investment and employment, and improve living standards, health and well-being, and our quality of life. A good quality environment can also help to improve resilience to climate change, as trees and other green infrastructure provide important ecosystem services that reduce the effects of flooding and the urban heat island.
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