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Author name
Date
A tool for biodiversity mainstreaming?
2nd November 2016, Sogakope, Ghana Steve Bass, IIED
Natural capital
accounting

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1. Our progress to date in
mainstreaming biodiversity
We have made good progress in:
• Mainstreaming devt issues into NBSAPs
• Mainstreaming BD into devt plans
We are now moving beyond plans to:
• Mainstreaming BD into govt budgets
We targeted plans and budgets because they are
central to the machinery of government
But they are all about intentions
What might we target next to ensure real progress?

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2. One idea: mainstreaming BD
into national accounts?
National
plan
National
budget
National
accounts
What mandate to do this?
Aichi Target 2 – integrate biodiversity values into
national and local development strategies and plans
and national accounting systems as appropriate

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What are national accounts?
An integrated economic information system on
how the economy functions –
 stocks of capital produce…
 flows of benefits that yield…
 value to people, and are…
 increased or decreased in the process
Helps economic analysis to inform major govt
decisions on policy and resource allocation
But generally ignore ‘natural capital’

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How can natural capital be
reflected in national accounts?
UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounts (2012 )
Integrates economic and ecological understanding of
environment into national accounting
Natural Capital Accounts increasingly common (EU law)
Accounts are physical (stocks & flows) or financial (values)
Aim to improve management of scarce natural capital
Most accounts focus on those parts of natural capital where
env-economy links are already appreciated:
 Land, Forest, Minerals, Water, Energy accounts, etc

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Can we account for biodiversity?
Biodiversity accounts are less common: Australia,
Netherlands, Mauritius, UK; Namibia, Uganda?
Most are species accounts – richness, abundance,
distribution; or protected areas accounts
Both species and PAs are:
• central to BD policy
• good proxies for BD
• spatial
• significant but ‘invisible’ in the economy
(food and fibre, nutrient cycling, culture,
tourism, and insurance of future benefits)

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What would biodiversity
accounts achieve?
Aichi: plan/report on Aichi targets e.g. costs of achieving targets
PAs: calculate economic benefits from PAs; target cost-effective new PAs;
assess effects of PA fees and increasing revenues
Habitat and species conservation: assess expenditure efficiency
Offsets: ensure no net loss of BD assets
PES: track NC stocks and ES benefit flows, compare with costs
Balance sheet: is national income at expense of liquidating BD assets; or
are BD assets protected for long-term growth?
Local plans: BD spatial accounts link to local socio-econ statistics
Investment: facts to help set resource fees and attract investors

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Best bets for BD mainstreaming
Land accounts can lead to BD accounts
they cover location of env processes and econ activities
Focus on BD stocks initially e.g. wildlife accounts
little data on BD benefit flows, so consequently undervalued
Promote natural capital accounting generally
i.e. NR information at the heart of government machinery!
But ensure NCA is decision-centred
informing important national decisions in e.g. NDP

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