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Vodafone and UK National Parks join forces
16 May, 2025
Vodafone and the UK’s 15 National Parks have kicked off a three-year partnership that brings together digital and natural infrastructure. Not another glossy reforestation pledge – this one’s about AI-powered habitat mapping, fixing up ancient habitats and helping people access the outdoors. It’s practical, place-based, and focused on the kind of change you can see and walk through.
This partnership also taps into a bigger shift in how we think about nature. For a long time, environmental action has focused on the visible and measurable – droughts, GHG emissions, rising temperatures. Now, both voluntary and mandatory frameworks alike (TNFD, GRI, CSRD) ask companies to think more broadly not just about how they impact nature, but about the full spectrum of how they benefit from it.
Technology has an important part to play, in understanding and protecting ecosystems better. On a human level, research shows that people overwhelmingly want to connect with nature, and that many are using digital tools, from social media to photo feeds, to engage with it when physical access isn’t possible.
This partnership ticks a lot of boxes. The data supports nature’s regulating and supporting functions. But it also helps people access nature, reminding us that connecting with the natural world is a cultural and emotional need. Sometimes it’s just about standing on a hill and looking out over something beautiful. A completely valid human need – and one worth protecting too.
With only a small percentage of people in the UK able to access nature daily, despite the most saying they want to, efforts like this can make a meaningful difference. They also show what “nature-positive” can look like when companies engage with place, people, and purpose.
We’ve started working with clients to explore how nature fits into strategy, reporting, and risk – from aligning with emerging frameworks to understanding impact. It’s an area we’re continuing to grow, and partnerships like this are a good reminder: protecting nature isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s also a story about what we value.
By Mariana Garcia