UN Creating Index to Measure Our Bond with Nature

For the first time, the United Nations is creating a way to measure something hopeful: how well humans and nature thrive together.

The Nature Relationship Index (NRI) will debut later this year alongside the 2026 Human Development Report. Unlike traditional environmental metrics that track destruction and loss, this new tool will give countries a score that rises as they improve their relationship with the natural world.

The idea grew from a meeting of 20 scientists, authors, and philosophers in Oxford, UK. They tackled a surprisingly difficult question: how do you measure harmony with nature when most environmental tools only measure harm?

Traditional metrics like carbon dioxide levels and extinction rates engage people through fear. The Oxford group wanted something different—numbers that would connect with people's hopes instead of their dread.

They settled on three core questions. Is nature thriving and accessible to people? Is nature being used with care? And is nature safeguarded for the future?

The shift reflects a bigger change in conservation thinking. Environmentalists once saw humans as separate from nature, always destructive. Now scientists recognize that people can help ecosystems flourish.

Indigenous burning practices now prevent wildfires in forests. Flower-filled meadows that once fed ancient communities need harvesting to survive. Peregrine falcons, once endangered, now nest on skyscrapers and hunt urban rats.

Why This Inspires

Pedro Conceição, lead author of the Human Development Report, says the index will challenge the idea that humans are inherent destroyers of nature. He believes narratives about limits and boundaries divide people rather than energize them.

The NRI speaks to aspirations for a green, abundant world. As countries do better, their score goes up—with no ceiling. Officials hope nations will compete to rise in the rankings, turning environmental progress into a source of pride.

The approach recognizes what Indigenous communities have always known: humans aren't separate from nature. The real challenge isn't to withdraw from the natural world but to get better at being part of it.

For once, an environmental metric will measure how much we're winning, not just how badly we're losing.