A new set of mapping tools launched by the Environment Agency and partners promises to help councils, government bodies and environmental organisations identify, at street level, where environmental pressures are combining with social deprivation to create the greatest risks for communities across England.
Unveiled at the start of London Climate Week, the Index of Multiple Environmental Deprivation (IMED) and the accompanying Environmental Equity Index (EEI) are intended to provide a consistent evidence base for directing investment and interventions towards neighbourhoods facing the greatest cumulative environmental burdens.
The developers say the tools respond to growing recognition that climate change and environmental hazards disproportionately affect lower-income communities, which often face greater obstacles to adapting to risks such as flooding and extreme heat.
The IMED maps multiple environmental pressures—including climate-related hazards, air quality, flood risk, environmental noise and access to green space—at street-level resolution and across other local geographies such as Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs).
The Environmental Equity Index builds on this by combining the environmental data with socio-economic and health indicators, highlighting locations where multiple disadvantages coincide. Used together, the indices are intended to help organisations target resources more effectively, support planning decisions and coordinate environmental, public health and social policy.
Potential applications include prioritising urban greening projects, housing retrofit programmes, heat-resilient building design and public health interventions in communities experiencing the greatest combined environmental and social pressures.
John Leyland, Executive Director of Environment and Business at the Environment Agency, said:
“Protecting communities from environmental pressures is central to our work at the Environment Agency, but we know that some communities face greater pressures than others.
“That’s why we have developed these tools which provide for the first time a clear picture of environmental pressures across England – so that we can direct our resources where they’re needed most by the communities we serve”
Natural England contributed expertise in green infrastructure, spatial analysis and nature-based solutions during the development of the tools.
David Drake, Director for People and Nature at Natural England, said:
“Natural England’s expertise in green infrastructure, spatial data and nature-based solutions shaped how these tools were designed and what they measure.
“Decision-makers now have something they haven’t had before: a consistent, high-resolution evidence base covering the whole of England that can tell us, at a glance, where environmental disadvantage is greatest so that we can take action.”
Environmental campaigners welcomed the initiative as a step towards improving access to environmental information and supporting more equitable decision-making.
Mike Childs, Head of Science, Policy and Research at Friends of the Earth, said:
“We’ve known for a long time that some communities are disproportionately affected by environmental harm and exposed on multiple fronts. So today’s launch, which sees these compounding threats tracked officially for the first time, is a significant step towards improving access to information and justice on the environment.
“With these tools, communities and councils can gain a clear understanding of the main environmental risks locally, as well as which areas need to be prioritised for action. We know just how valuable resources like these are for delivering change at the local level thanks to our work with hundreds of local action groups up and down the country. This is a shining example of what collaboration between government, campaign groups and academia can unlock.”
The indices were developed with academic input from Staffordshire University and the University of Leeds.
Professor Jon Fairburn and Professor Gordon Mitchell said:
“By bringing together rich spatial data into a single, evidence-driven index, IMED reveals the true cumulative burden of environmental deprivation – informing citizens and empowering decision-makers to target interventions where they are needed most.
“This index gives local authorities a clearer, place-based understanding of how environmental pressures – from air quality to heat stress – combine across neighbourhoods, supporting targeted action and better outcomes for communities most in need.”
The tools support implementation of the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan and Local Nature Recovery Strategies. They also complement wider government investment in climate adaptation, including £15 million for climate vulnerability research programmes, £5.3 billion for flood management schemes and further funding for tree planting and peatland restoration.
Both the IMED and Environmental Equity Index are available through Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Mapping Tool, accompanied by guidance and supporting documentation on GOV.UK.