Download (PDF, 6.71MB) - TEEB

STRENGTHENING INDICATORS AND ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS FOR NATURAL CAPITAL
Figure 3.3: SNA and Environmental-Economic Accounting
A few countries developed satellite accounts for
environmental protection expenditures, for natural assets
(sub-soil, water, forest), for pollution (emissions accounts)
or for other material flow accounts (see also
TEEB Climate Issues Update 2009). However, too little
use was generally made of these satellite accounts.
This led to the creation of the London Group on
Environmental Accounting – a group of national and
environmental accountants from various OECD and
developing countries – and to the revision of the SEEA
in 2003 to present a better balance between monetary
and physical accounts.
The 2003 SEEA now offers best accounting practices
for physical units for natural assets, such as land
ecosystems and water systems. With respect to
valuation issues, however, it still artificially divides
ecosystems into a resource component (timber, fish
stocks, water in reservoirs…) where depletion is
calculated according to conventional economic rules
and where valuation remains uncertain for ‘environmental
degradation’. Addressing these shortcomings
in ecosystem accounting is a key challenge for the
SEEA 2012/2013 revision. Ecosystem accounts and
valuation issues are planned to be part of a specific
volume.
3.4.3 PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARDS
ECOSYSTEM ACCOUNTING
Against this background, elements of a framework for
ecosystem accounting have been developed and are
being tested by the European Environment Agency
with many partners. Several analyses and methodological
approaches have been developed and presented
in papers (Weber 2007, 2009). Land accounting has
been established on the basis of land-cover change
detection for Europe (EEA 2006) and can be applied
to the global level using similar methodologies developed
with ESA, FAO, UNEP, IGBP and other
relevant bodies.
Under the auspices of TEEB, the European Environment
Agency has been working on Ecosystem
Accounting for the Mediterranean Wetlands. This
methodological case study is being carried out to illuminate
the possible contribution of environmental
accounting in general, and ecosystem accounting in
particular, to the economics of ecosystems and
biodiversity. It has come to findings and confirmations
of the following points on ecosystem accounting
methodologies (see Box 3.8).
TEEB FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY MAKERS - CHAPTER 3: PAGE 29
Source: Hassan 2005