SEEA Experimental Ecosystem SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting OverviewAccounting Overview

Alessandra AlfieriAlessandra AlfieriUnited Nations Statistics DivisionUnited Nations Statistics Division

Rationale for Experimental Ecosystem Accounting

• Envisaged as part of SEEA revision process initiated in 2007 under the management of the Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting

• Complements SEEA Central Framework • Not intended to be an international statistical

standard but initial conceptual framework for accounting for ecosystem assets and associated services from which testing and research can be undertaken

Blending underlying concepts

• Conceptual model is ecosystem accounting formed from established concepts in

• Ecology

• Ecological economics

• National accounts

• Statistical measurements

Why an accounting approach?• Accounting is funded on defined relationships

between stocks and flows• The conceptual relationships and associated

measurement boundaries are present in physical and monetary terms

• Derivation of aggregates is an outcome of defined relationships and use of common measurement units

• Within measurement boundaries the accounts are comprehensive and internally consistent

• Stocks = Ecosystem Assets• Spatial area• Fixed characteristics (e.g., slope, altitude)• Variable characteristics (e.g., land cover,

biodiversity)• Flows

• Intra-ecosystem (within ecosystem)• Inter-ecosystem (between ecosystems)• Ecosystem services (to people)

Basic Accounting Model

Basic Accounting Model

Ecosystem asset (spatial area)

Ecosystem asset (spatial area)

Ecosystem processes Ecosystem processes

Economic & other human activity

Economic & other human activity

Exchanges of products & social

interactions

Ecosystem services

Ecosystem services

Inter-ecosystem flows

Ecosystem characteristicsEcosystem characteristics Intra-ecosystem flows Intra-ecosystem flows

Human impacts Human impacts

Model related to flows of ecosystem services

Individual & societal wellbeing

BenefitsSNA & non-SNA

Ecosystem services

ECOSYSTEM ASSET

Ecosystem characteristics Intra-ecosystem flows Inter-ecosystem flows

Human inputs (e.g. labour, produced assets)

Ecosystem processes

Ecosystem assetsEcosystem assets

• Two perspectives on environmental assetsTwo perspectives on environmental assets

Individual environmental assets-Timber resources- Aquatic resources- Mineral & energy res- Soil resources- Land- Water resources

Bio-physical environment

Ecosystem assets“Combinations of biotic communities and their abiotic environment functioning together in a spatial area”- excludes mineral & energy resources

Ecosystem Asset Measures

Expected ecosystem service flows (for a given basket of

ecosystem services)

Capacity of ecosystem asset to generate

ecosystem services

Ecosystem condition (quality of ecosystem characteristics relative to reference condition)

Ecosystem extent (spatial area/size of ecosystem)

Spatial Area RepresentationEcosystem Accounting Unit

BSU

LCEU type B

LCEU type C

LCEU type A

LCEU type A

Key Considerations

• Multi-disciplinary nature

• Accounting approach benefits

• Physical and monetary accounting

• Complements SEEA Central Framework

• Continued research and testing needed

• Potential to meet policy demands

Multi-disciplinary nature• Conceptual model in ecosystem accounting formed from

established concepts in• Ecology

• Economics

• National accounts

• Statistical measurement

• Inputs from many disciplines in drafting• Cooperation among disciplines necessary in testing and research

• Important role for National Statistical Offices

Accounting Approach Benefits

• Broad coverage related to defined set of components

• Comprehensive (not selective) measurement within boundaries

• Integrated and coherent relationships between stocks and flows

• Basis for organizing information• Potential for aggregation and consistent time

series

Physical and Monetary Accounting

• Physical accounting relevant and important in assessment of changes in ecosystems

• May be sufficient for many purposes

• Monetary accounting allow the linkages of the physical flows with the monetary flows

• Valuation remains challenging but it is important to clarify valuation principles of SNA and beyond

Complements SEEA Central Framework

• Compilation of land accounts is a building block for ecosystem accounting

• Measurement of individual assets inform ecosystem conditions and services

• Combined presentations

• Link information on environmental pressures (e.g. flows of natural inputs of water and energy and flows of residuals of air emissions and waste) to environmental impacts

• Link responses (environmental protectionexpenditures, taxes and subsidies) to ecosystem changes

Continued Research and Testing Needed

• Conceptually sound framework, providing broad platform for research & testing

• Aspects requiring further research• Ecosystem degradation

• Valuation approaches for accounting purposes

• Need for testing across different ecosystems and countries• Delineation of spatial units

• Classifications (spatial areas, ecosystem services)

• Selection of indicators

• Accounting tables and aggregation methods

Potential to Meet Policy Demands

• Framework for assessing environmental impact of economic activity

• Can assist in answering key policy questions (e.g. trade-off analysis)

• Integrated, multi-disciplinary framework suited to analysis of cross-cutting policy issues

• Potential basis for monitoring international processes

• Potential to scale to local, national and global levels

• Research agenda implementation

• Testing in countries

• Formation of expert group

• Three areas of research

• Physical ecosystem accounting

• Monetary ecosystem accounting

• Communication and dissemination

Proposed Next Steps