Dr. Doug MacNair, Technical Director at Environmental Resources Management (ERM), has been appointed to serve as the Coalition’s Technical Manager. 

The Coalition launched a draft of the Natural Capital Protocol at the World Forum on Natural Capital in November 2015. Applicable globally and across multiple business contexts, the Protocol and accompanying sector guides will provide a standardized framework for businesses to measure and value their direct and indirect impacts and dependencies on natural capital. The Protocol consultation phase has now been concluded, and the Protocol is being further developed before the global launch in July 2016. This follows the many thousands of constructive comments that were entered by engaged organizations and selected professionals around the world.

Dr. MacNair has been seconded from ERM into this role, and will provide technical support for the Coalition during this development phase and will also support the broader program of work that is currently underway.  He will work with the Coalition’s member teams in order to identify how their approaches compliment and intersect with the work of the Coalition, with the goal of driving further collaboration and process harmonization among members. Dr MacNair will likewise engage with the Protocol and Sector Guide authors, and will contribute to Protocol related workshops and webinars as well as summarize relevant technical documents and comments involving the Protocol.

Read more about Dr. MacNair’s role with the Coalition in ERM’s Sustainability Report 2015

Mark Gough, Executive Director of the Natural Capital Coalition, said:

“We are really pleased to have Doug joining the Coalition’s growing team. His experience and insights will be essential as we enter the next phase of the project, completing the Protocol and then applying it.”

Doug MacNair, Technical Director, ERM, said:

“There is a growing interest from organizations about how best to measure and value natural capital to improve decision making.  The Protocol will bring much needed clarity to the topic. ERM has been actively involved in developing guidelines, frameworks, and quantitative tools to support natural capital management and we are excited about this opportunity to continue contributing to this important work.”

Dr. MacNair has over 20 years of experience in environmental economics and decision analytics.  He specializes in helping corporations’ value natural resource and environmental services in their decision making using quantitative tools.  He’s managed projects involving valuation of water resources, air quality, open spaces, residential properties, EHS risks, and environmental remediation programs.  He also has extensive experience in econometrics, survey design and analysis, as well as facilitating both corporate and public focus groups/workshops. 


About the Natural Capital Coalition
The Natural Capital Coalition brings together initiatives and organizations to collaborate on projects that will help to deliver a common vision of a world where business conserves and enhances natural capital.

The Natural Capital Protocol is a product of the Natural Capital Coalition. The Natural Capital Coalition has brought together – through two consortia led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the world’s leading institutions from business, accountancy, consultancy, financial institutions and NGOs to develop the Natural Capital Protocol, two sector guides on Food and Beverage and Apparel, and to engage business in the development and testing of the Protocol.

These institutions are: Accenture, ACTS, ARCADIS, The B Team, Carbon Disclosure Standards Board, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Conservation International, Deloitte, eCountability, eftec, ERM, EY, FAO, GIST Advisory, IERS, Imperial College London, Integrated Sustainability Services, Natural Capital Project, The Nature Conservancy, The Sustainable Fashion Academy, PwC, Sustain Value, Synergiz, Trucost, True Price, VitalMetrics, World Resources Institute and WWF.

Work on the Natural Capital Protocol Project has been made possible with generous funding from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; IFC with the support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Netherlands; The Rockefeller Foundation; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Coalition is hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Learn more about the Natural Capital Coalition

About ERM
ERM is a leading global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk, social consulting services and sustainability related services. We have more than 5,000 people in over 40 countries working out of more than 160 offices. For over 40 years ERM has been working with clients around the world and in diverse industry sectors. The key sectors we serve include Oil & Gas, Mining, Power, and Manufacturing, Chemical and Pharmaceutical. All face critical sustainability challenges. Our clients in these and many other areas rely on our ability to help them operate more sustainably which has a positive impact on our planet. ERM is committed to providing a service that is consistent, professional and of the highest quality to create value for our clients. Over the past five years we have worked for more than 50 percent of the Global Fortune 500, delivering innovative solutions for business and selected government clients and helping them understand and manage the sustainability challenges that the world is increasingly facing.

Learn more about ERM