| Practice area: | Public Policy |
|---|---|
| Client: | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Published: | 7 July, 2026 |
| Keywords: | impact assessment environment environmental Evaluation Public Policy |
London Economics was commissioned by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) to assess the economic impact of its activities across the UK. The analysis found that UKCEH generates substantial economic and social value through its environmental research, monitoring networks, data resources and skills development activities.
The assessment examines the contribution generated by UKCEH’s work across the UK, using 2024 as a representative year. It estimates that every £1 of public funding supporting UKCEH generated around £6.80 in economic and social value.
UKCEH is a leading environmental research institute, delivering integrated research across land, water and air systems. Its work includes operating large-scale environmental monitoring networks, developing environmental models, producing and maintaining environmental datasets, providing research and analytical services, and supporting the next generation of environmental scientists through postgraduate training.
The analysis combined an institution-level assessment of UKCEH’s economic contribution with detailed case studies exploring how specific research activities generate value. This included impacts associated with UKCEH’s expenditure and employment, research productivity spillovers, and the use of environmental data and monitoring programmes.
Key findings:
- The analysis estimates that every £1 of public funding supporting UKCEH generated around £6.80 in economic and social value.
- UKCEH’s activities generated an estimated £425 million in annual economic and social value in 2024 under the central scenario. This comprised £124.5 million from UKCEH’s spending and associated economic activity, £299.4 million from research productivity spillovers, and £1.1 million from postgraduate research training impacts.
Case studies demonstrated how UKCEH’s environmental data and monitoring activities create value in practice:
- Their Land Cover Maps were estimated to generate between £0.3 million and £1.4 million in annual value through avoided analytical effort and reduced requirements for bespoke data collection.
- The Cumbrian Lakes Monitoring Platform was estimated to generate between £2.6 million and £18 million per year by supporting improved lake management and avoiding potential environmental deterioration.
- The UK Environmental Change Network case study illustrated how long-term monitoring and research can support better decision-making. It examines the economic impact generated through UKCEH’s monitoring and research on dissolved organic matter in upland waters, including improved water treatment planning and reduced operational and capital costs. Potential annual benefits were estimated to be between £2.0 million to £5.5 million.
The findings highlight UKCEH’s role as a critical part of the UK’s environmental research and data infrastructure. Through generating high-quality evidence, maintaining long-term monitoring networks and supporting collaboration between researchers, policymakers and practitioners, UKCEH enables better-informed decisions that contribute to economic efficiency, environmental resilience and long-term sustainability.
Download the full study here.