On the 6th February the Nature Markets Dialogue (NMD) hosted the first workshop of 2025.  Professionals drawn from across the demand, supply and operational sides of nature markets met to continue the discussion of the critical need for robust governance. 

The workshop built on 12 months of effort to convene a consensus around the future for nature market development, rooted in the belief that by working together we can reach the best possible outcome. Government is engaged and listening, at a crucial moment for environmental policy development, so we were delighted so many knowledgeable individuals joined us to pool their experience and expertise.

The session was characterised by both a realism that these issues have been under discussion for some time and there has been some disappointment along the way, and by a strong sense of optimism that we will eventually secure market integrity in the UK. Perhaps inspired by the ideas in the NMD Governance Paper or by the healthy turnout of professionals prepared to collaborate, 61% of attendees counted themselves as positive that our goals will be achieved.

The purpose of the event was to workshop answers to the NMD Governance Consultation, which remains open to everyone until the 28th February. From the 15 questions, six were identified as being of particular interest via a pre-meeting poll. Those six were subject to rigorous discussion in smaller breakout groups, as the attendees helped shape and form each other’s responses.

The true outcome of this process will be recorded in the responses to the consultation itself, but the workshop highlighted some key themes that are sure to come out in the conclusions:

• The need for government leadership and action
• The need to learn from existing good practice at home and abroad
• The vital importance of the government’s new Land Use Framework consultation 
• A clear focus on nature recovery at all times
• The significance of data platforms and emerging technologies

The results of this consultation will build towards a governance framework that the NMD will propose to government at a future Ministerial roundtable. Everyone at the Broadway Initiative is extremely grateful to all participants, and to Bruce Howard from the Ecosystems Knowledge Network who so ably facilitated the workshop.