Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 101473 |
| Journal | Ecosystem Services |
| Volume | 57 |
| Early online date | 8 Sept 2022 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2022 |
Abstract
Research on methods and applications on the integration of ecosystem services flow accounts into economic reporting systems has increased in the last decades. Along with Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), Ecosystem Accounting (EA) has been increasingly considered and has been integrated into research, policy and decision-making. Following the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) distinction of core and thematic accounts, this study presents a short overview of the EA progress in European countries. Based on the review of scientific and grey literature, the ecosystem accounting progress from 29 European countries was identified (EU27 countries, the United Kingdom and Norway). Overall, the largest share (more than 50%) of finalized accounts at a national scale were recorded for the ecosystem extent accounts. Besides, the review revealed that for monetary ecosystem service accounts, the relatively largest proportion of accounts was developed only at the local scale. Generally, the accounting progress has been found to be distributed rather heterogeneously throughout the different countries. The most intensive ecosystem accounting progresses were identified for the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The most frequently developed thematic account was the carbon account. Within this study, we only considered finalized ecosystem accounts. Nevertheless, in the process of the review, we came across a vast amount of further ongoing accounting initiatives. In combination with the growing relevance and increasing awareness of ecosystem accounting in policy- and decision-making in the countries and within supranational bodies like the UN and the EU, we expect a significant increase in completed ecosystem accounts in the foreseeable future.
Keywords
- Condition account, Ecosystem services account, Extent account, Grey literature, Natural capital, Scientific literature
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Global and Planetary Change
- Social Sciences(all)
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Environmental Science(all)
- Ecology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Environmental Science(all)
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
- Environmental Science(all)
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Ecosystem Services, Vol. 57, 101473, 10.2022.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Progress on ecosystem accounting in Europe
AU - Lange, Sabine
AU - Campagne, Carole Sylvie
AU - Comte, Adrien
AU - Bank, Emily
AU - Santos-Martín, Fernando
AU - Maes, Joachim
AU - Burkhard, Benjamin
N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thankfully acknowledge the financial support of the EU Horizon 2020 grant 817527 (MAIA).
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Research on methods and applications on the integration of ecosystem services flow accounts into economic reporting systems has increased in the last decades. Along with Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), Ecosystem Accounting (EA) has been increasingly considered and has been integrated into research, policy and decision-making. Following the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) distinction of core and thematic accounts, this study presents a short overview of the EA progress in European countries. Based on the review of scientific and grey literature, the ecosystem accounting progress from 29 European countries was identified (EU27 countries, the United Kingdom and Norway). Overall, the largest share (more than 50%) of finalized accounts at a national scale were recorded for the ecosystem extent accounts. Besides, the review revealed that for monetary ecosystem service accounts, the relatively largest proportion of accounts was developed only at the local scale. Generally, the accounting progress has been found to be distributed rather heterogeneously throughout the different countries. The most intensive ecosystem accounting progresses were identified for the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The most frequently developed thematic account was the carbon account. Within this study, we only considered finalized ecosystem accounts. Nevertheless, in the process of the review, we came across a vast amount of further ongoing accounting initiatives. In combination with the growing relevance and increasing awareness of ecosystem accounting in policy- and decision-making in the countries and within supranational bodies like the UN and the EU, we expect a significant increase in completed ecosystem accounts in the foreseeable future.
AB - Research on methods and applications on the integration of ecosystem services flow accounts into economic reporting systems has increased in the last decades. Along with Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), Ecosystem Accounting (EA) has been increasingly considered and has been integrated into research, policy and decision-making. Following the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) distinction of core and thematic accounts, this study presents a short overview of the EA progress in European countries. Based on the review of scientific and grey literature, the ecosystem accounting progress from 29 European countries was identified (EU27 countries, the United Kingdom and Norway). Overall, the largest share (more than 50%) of finalized accounts at a national scale were recorded for the ecosystem extent accounts. Besides, the review revealed that for monetary ecosystem service accounts, the relatively largest proportion of accounts was developed only at the local scale. Generally, the accounting progress has been found to be distributed rather heterogeneously throughout the different countries. The most intensive ecosystem accounting progresses were identified for the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The most frequently developed thematic account was the carbon account. Within this study, we only considered finalized ecosystem accounts. Nevertheless, in the process of the review, we came across a vast amount of further ongoing accounting initiatives. In combination with the growing relevance and increasing awareness of ecosystem accounting in policy- and decision-making in the countries and within supranational bodies like the UN and the EU, we expect a significant increase in completed ecosystem accounts in the foreseeable future.
KW - Condition account
KW - Ecosystem services account
KW - Extent account
KW - Grey literature
KW - Natural capital
KW - Scientific literature
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137315488&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101473
DO - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101473
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85137315488
VL - 57
JO - Ecosystem Services
JF - Ecosystem Services
SN - 2212-0416
M1 - 101473
ER -