Dutch Enviromental Accounts and policy demands Geert Bruinooge Deputy Director General Statistics Netherlands

1 Content Dutch System of Environmental Accounts Implementation Compilation Examples of how Dutch Environmental Accounts inform policy makers: Dutch Water accounts Renewable energy sector Carbon footprint and emission trade balance SEEA as framework to measure green growth Conclusions

2 Dutch EA: Implementation of SEEA Statistics Netherlands has a comprehensive EA program which cover various policy domains: Water water use; emissions to water; regional water accounts Energy energy accounts; oil and gas reserves Materials / resource efficiency MFA and waste accounts Climate and air pollution air emissions; bridge tables; CO2 quarterly; Policy instruments Environmental Goods and Services Sector; emission permits; environmental taxes; environmental subsidies Analyses Footprints; Structural Decomposition Analysis; econometric

3 Dutch EA: Compilation Data availability: No specific surveys, only integration of existing data sources Integration makes environment statistics comparable to economics statistics (classifications, definitions) Important data sources include: National accounts; Emission inventories; Energy statistics; - Trade statistics; Government statistics; etc. EA data also used to improve the National accounts User demands: Research institutes Policy makers Businesses Eurostat (legal base)

4 Dutch EA: Organisation of work The EA are compiled within the National Accounts department Accounts are compiled with relatively few resources Advantages: Good knowledge of the National Accounts important for EA EA data can also be used to compile National Accounts

5 Example 1: Dutch Water Accounts Water accounts are commissioned by the Dutch Water Agency Reasons: Water accounts are based on internationally agreed system Statistics Netherlands has many relevant data, water accounts combine these data into one database Ensures consistency of data over the years Statistics Netherlands is the data authority in the Netherlands Information used for various purposes (a.o.) Reporting for the EU Water Framework Directive Reporting for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive Annual report ‘Water in Beeld’

6 Results: cost-recovery Cost recovery of water-services in the Netherlands (Source: Van der Veeren and Dekking, ) NrWater-service Cost recovery Provider of the service User of the serviceCost recovery by means of Production and distribution of water 100% Drinking water companies, industry, agriculture Households, industry, agriculture Price per m3 for water used, fixed price for infrastructure, self-service 2 collection and discharge of rainwater and wastewater 80%95%Municipalities Households, industry, agriculture Sewerage levy 3Wastewater treatment100% Regional water boards, industry, agriculture Households, industry, agriculture Emission levy, self-service 4 Groundwater management 95%100%Provinces Households, industry, nature Groundwater levy, groundwater tax 5 Regional water system management 100% Regional water boards Households, industry, agriculture Watersystem levy

77 Example 2: Sustainable energy sector The Ministery of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation requested more detailed economic information on the sustainable energy sector This is a subset of companies in the Environmental Goods and Services Sector In spring 2011 Statistics Netherlands executed an in depth study on the sustainable energy sector (reporting year 2008) In 2012 we continue the work: annual update of figures, monitoring trends

8 Results: value added and employment Share of sustainable energy sector in total employment and GDP is small (<1 percent) but increasing over time

9 Environmental Accounts in combination with Input Output tables allow to estimate ‘footprints’: the pollution caused by consumption In 2011 the Dutch Sustainability Agenda explicitly asked Statistics Netherlands to further develop footprint indicators. In 2012 a project is being conducted to refine the used methodology Example 3: Carbon Footprint

10 Results: emission trade balance Trade balance negative with China (CO2) and Russia (CH4), but postive with Germany Caused by: NL is a large net importer from China (volume effect) Chinese production more emission intensive

11 Results: personal carbon footprint Personal carbon footprint is an interactive internet application It allows users to estimate their GHG emissions related to their own consumption habits

12 SEEA as framework for Green Growth OECD green growth: “fostering economic growth and development while ensuring that the quality and quantity of natural assets can continue to provide the environmental services on which our well-being relies. It is also about fostering investment, competition and innovation which will underpin sustained growth and give rise to new economic opportunities (OECD, 2011). Environmental accounts directly provide indicators and an underlying analytical framework for the main characteristics of green growth : a) Improving resource and environmental efficiency b) Maintaining the natural asset base c) Evaluation of the effectiveness of policy in greening growth d) Providing new economic opportunities

13 Measuring green growth in the Netherlands (2011) Objective: Assess the state of green growth in the Netherlands Benchmark for a more thorough and comprehensive assessment of green growth in the future Point of departure: OECD indicators Data availability Robustness of indicators Relevance for the Netherlands  List of 20 relevant indicators Project was completed in only 2 months

14 SEEA as a data source

15 Presentation and scores Two scores: A) trends in greening growth Environmental efficiency indicators: based on degree of decoupling (absolute / relative / no decoupling) Other indicators: evaluation of their trends B) policy targets  based on publication of the Environmental assessment agency

16 Example: development of GDP and key figures Index 1990=100

17 Results: Scores of the green growth indicators

18 Demand for green growth indicators High international interest  OECD, UNEP initiatives  One of the central themes for Rio+20 High national interest  Policy makers: Ministries of environment and infrastructure, economy and innovation, financing  Research institutes  Businesses (corporate social responsibility etc.)  General public / media In 2012: list of indicators being revised

19 Visualisation of GG indicators (preliminary) Index 1990=100

20 Conclusions Various advantages to SEEA: International statistical standard  Internationally comparable statistics Integrating approach  consistent and comprehensive statistics In the Netherlands compilation of EA based on source data from existing institutional and statistical infrastructure Increasing demand by various users for EA data SEEA provides a solid measurement framework for monitoring green growth