New tools to map where environmental pressures impact communities
Two new analytical tools launched to identify where environmental, socio-economic and health pressures affect communities across England
From today (Monday 22 June), a wide range of users, including local authorities, government, NGOs and others, will be able to see at a street-level where environmental and climate pressures are hitting socio-economically deprived communities hardest. Environmental and climate change impacts are disproportionately felt by those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with these communities facing greater barriers to action, particularly in areas vulnerable to extreme heat and flooding.
Launched at the start of London Climate Week, two new analytical tools will provide organisations across England with robust evidence to pinpoint where environmental pressures overlap with socio-economic and health challenges.
The Index of Multiple Environmental Deprivation (IMED) maps cumulative environmental pressures, including climate risks, air quality, flood risk, noise and access to green space, across England at street-level resolution and other local geographies including Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs)
The Environmental Equity Index (EEI) builds on this by incorporating socio-economic and health indicators to reveal where these pressures intersect and accumulate. Used together, the tools help identify areas experiencing the greatest combined burdens, supporting more targeted and joined-up responses.
The tools provide a consistent, transparent evidence base designed for use by a wide range of organisations who can then target resources, strengthen planning decisions and take more joined-up approaches to environmental, socio-economic and health challenges.
For example, measures such as urban greening, housing retrofit, heat resilient design standards and targeted public health responses need to be prioritised in the most deprived areas.
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
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.
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.
Professor Jon Fairburn (Staffordshire University) and Professor Gordon Mitchell (University of Leeds) 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.
IMED and EEI support the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan and Local Nature Recovery Strategies. The Government has committed £15 million to research programmes aimed at mapping climate vulnerability and improving local adaptive capacities across society, in addition to £5.3 billion on flood management schemes and millions for tree planting and peat land restoration.
Both tools are available now via Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Mapping Tool, with free guidance, FAQs and support materials on GOV.UK.
Additional information:
- You can access the Green Infrastructure Map online
- IMED combines environmental indicators into a single composite score using national datasets covering England. It can be applied at different geographic scales and aligned with social and health data to reveal where multiple disadvantages overlap.
- EEI goes further, integrating environmental, social and health indicators into a single composite score designed specifically for urban areas, highlighting communities facing the greatest cumulative pressures across all three domains.
- Both tools are freely available for use by local authorities, integrated care boards, planning authorities, NGOs, consultancies, government departments and academic researchers.
- The tools were developed between 2023 and 2025, led by the Environment Agency in collaboration with Natural England, Friends of the Earth, deprivation.org, the Environmental Data Network, and the Universities of Leeds, Staffordshire and Lincoln, with contributions from Defra.
- London Climate Week takes place from 20-28 June 2026.