Ecosystem Capital Accounting: towards a fast track implementation in Europe Jean-Louis Weber Senior adviser economic-environmental accounting 12 November 2009 The same rule of self-destructive financial calculation governs every walk of life. We destroy the beauty of the countryside because the unappropriated splendours of nature have no economic value. We are capable of shutting off the sun and the stars because they do not pay a dividend. John Maynard Keynes 1933 Because National Accounts are based on financial transactions, they account for nothing Nature, to which we dont owe anything in terms of payments but to which we owe everything in terms of livelihood. Bertrand de Jouvenel 1968

2 approaches to ecosystem economics: maximisation of benefits (the financial value of nature) vs. maintenance of options (the quantity*quality of nature) Maximisation of benefits from nature measurement of benefits & losses (e.g. TEEBs COPI study) or of ecosystem services value entangled into commodities or real estates (WB current proposal for SEEA revision). Requires measurement and valuation of ecosystem services & ecosystem assets. Ecosystem depreciation calculated as the difference in ecosystem asset value at two dates. Accounting prices: depends on services and purposes (market prices, production functions, contingent values, assets as NPV of future benefits = financial approach) relevant for planning, project impacts assessments (CBA). Maintenance of options (ecosystems potential of delivering services) measurement of ecosystem capital degradation in physical units (quantity*quality) & valuation limited to remediation costs. Equivalent to the calculation of capital maintenance cost (Consumption of Fixed Capital). No valuation of ecosystem services nor of ecosystem assets. Accounting prices: derived from observed remediation costs (statistics) relevant for National Accounts, as well as for business accounting (options and risks)… and for CBA in addition.

Financial value of natural assets = Net Present Value of expected future benefits = NPV If surveys tell how much homo economicus is willing to pay for ecosystem services, there is no need to monitor Nature! Economic Theory: asset value = financial value = NPV of expected future benefits

Ecosystem capital account: asset quantity*quality + Purchaser price Restoration = Final Consumption at the full cost Remediation cost Degradation

3 – Public Good: non-transferable rights on ecosystem good state (health, sustainable potential), non-rival, non-exclusive use Services valuation, payments for services [PES, purchase] 1 – Produced & Non produced Assets/SNA: mostly private goods Ecosystem assets, services and values: 3 components 2 - Non produced Assets/ Other Services: mostly common goods Regulating Recreating Provisioning Payments for restoring ecosystem potential (permits, taxes)

Ecosystem Accounting: Green National Accounts and Costs-Benefits Analysis National Accounts = the macro-economic picture adjusted for natural capital depreciation Benefits & Costs Assessments = extended accounts for projects, sectors… +

Consumption of Natural Capital & Adjustment of National Accounts for under-investment and over-consumption Final Consumption at Full Cost of Goods & Services = Final Consumption at Purchasers Price + Virtual Consumption of Ecosystem Capital in Imports (minus in Exports) + – Depletion of Sub-soil Assets = Adjusted Disposable (Real) National Income Gross Domestic Product Transfers with the Rest of World – or + = – Consumption of Fixed Capital National Income (NI or NNP) = – Gross National Income Depreciation of (domestic) Ecosystem Capital

Ecosystem Capital Depreciation & Sustainable Development: 1 aggregate for 3 pillars Remediation costs of ecosystem capital depreciation Economy: capital maintenance Real disposable Income, net savings, true prices, liabilities, development of green jobs, economic resource Social: sustainable consumption Full price of consumption, consumption patterns, equity, new jobs Environment: mitigation of nature degradation Sustainable use of natural resource & public good SD = Thriving ecosystems producing altogether: economic resources carbon biodiversity clean air, clean water options for the future (development as freedom)

Ecosystem Capital Depreciation, Remediation Costs & EU environmental policies Water Framework Directive full recovery of costs EU Climate change programme carbon emission offset costs Environmental Liability Directive remediation costs of impacts Natura2000 (as application of ELD 2004): restoration or replacement of degraded sites costs

Make it happen? Make it simple! : a Cubist Approach Multi-criteria rating Georges Braque – Harbour in Normandy, 1909 Water Index (exergy loss from evaporation & pollution) Bio-productivity Index (carbon, biomass, diversion from Nature) Biodiversity Index (rarefaction, loss of adaptability) Dependency Index (land, soil, energy, water, N,P,K...) Landscape Index (the Landscape Ecological Potential) Health Index (human, wildlife and plants populations) Total Ecological Potential (terrestrial ecosystems) Total Ecosystem Potential (terrestrial ecosystems ) Health Index (human, wildlife and plants populations) Water Index (exergy loss from evaporation & pollution) Landscape Index (the Landscape Ecological Potential) Carbon/Biomass Index (carbon, biomass, diversion from Nature) Biodiversity Index (rarefaction, loss of adaptability) Dependency Index (land, soil, energy, water, N,P,K...) Depreciation of Ecosystem Capital = Change in TEP * No valuation of ecosystem services or assets is needed

Multi-criteria rating Multi-criteria rating Mean unitary remediation costs Extracted from statistics on environmental protection and management expenditure Traceability of products In the tool box: innovative methodologies

Change in Total Ecosystem Potential Services Sectors Spatial Units Basic physical balances Spatial Units Health counts Water resource, supply & use Land Use (surfaces & commoditie s) Carbon/ biomass resource, supply & use Water functions & ecosystem services Land functions & ecosystem services Carbon/ biomass functions & ecosystem services Water bodies resource & abstraction Land cover stocks & change Carbon/ biomass resource and extraction/ harvesting Water quantity & quality Landscape patterns Carbon/ Biomass, productivity Human morbidity/ environment & food security Dependency from regulating ecosystem services Biodiversity related ecosystem services Distribution of critical areas for health Natural and semi-natural habitats & species distribution Water, C, energy, NPK, subsidies Ecosystem health factors Biodiversity factors Net external balances by socio- ecosystems LCA: impacts of chemical,, on human and wildlife health Fishing, hunting, harvesting of wild species (non cultivated) Sectors Expenditure accounts Water protection & management Land protection & management Carbon/ biomass Protection & management Health protection Biodiversity protection Agriculture & fishery subsidies Virtual land, water, and carbon use (domestic and in imports) Spatial Units Indexes Water Index (exergy loss from evaporation & pollution) Landscape Index (the Landscape Ecological Potential) Carbon/ biomass Index (carbon, biomass, diversion from Nature) Health Index (human, wildlife and plants populations) Biodiversity Index (rarefaction, loss of adaptability) Dependency Index ( land, soil, energy, water, N,P,K...) Ecosystem capital depreciation Maintenance/ Restoration Costs degradation mean Implementation priorities

Accounts & Indexes : Carbon/Biomass Ecosystem Accounts Opening stocks by ecosystems Formation of bio-C (Net Ecosystem Production) Withdrawals by activities Net transfers between ecosystems Returns from activities Imports/Exports Storage in the user system Consumption/combustion of bio-C Changes due to natural & multiple causes In situ bio-C storage Final stocks by ecosystems Withdrawal of bio-C Input-Output between sectors Returns of bio-C Imports/Exports Storage in the user system Consumption/combustion of bio-C Combustion of fossil fuel CO 2 /CH 4 emissions Ecosystem Asset Account Bio-C balance NPP trends NPP perturbation Change in NPP profiles Consumption of C / Emissions of CO 2 CH 4 Net Carbon Offset Expenditures C taxes and subsidies Net purchase of C permits Ecosystem C-Productivity Counts Sector Accounts (Supply & Use, MFA, NAMEA, Expenditures) Virtual C embodied in Import-Export Virtual C by products Landscape ecological potential Water availability (quantity*quality) Linkage table

Carbon/biomass indexes (parts) Trends in NPP and cumulated annual change

Opening stocks by ecosystems/water bodies Precipitations Natural Inflows Withdrawals by activities Net transfers between ecosystems/water bodies Returns to the water system from activities Imports/Exports and return to the sea Storage in the user system Consumption/evaporation in the use system Real evapotranspiration Changes due to natural & multiple causes Natural outflows Final stocks by ecosystems/water bodies Withdrawals by activities Net transfers between ecosystems/water bodies Returns to the water system from activities Imports/Exports and return to the sea Storage in the user system Consumption/evaporation in the use system Returns of waste water Storage in dams Rainfed agriculture Evapotranspiration by irrigation Ecosystem Asset Account Water balance Water net availability Water bio-chemical quality Ecological quality of river basins In situ water usage Water Protection and Management Expenditures Taxes and subsidies Purchase of water Investments Ecosystem Water Quality Accounts Sector Accounts (Supply & Use, MFA, NAMEA, Expenditures) Virtual water embodied in Import-Export Virtual water by products Landscape ecological potential Carbon/Biomass productivity & storage Linkage table Accounts & Indexes : Water Ecosystem Accounts

Water accounts meeting WFD requirements Cost for mitigating impacts of use over water bodies CMI Cost of ecosystem restoration CER Cost of water supply including sewage & treatment (service) CWS Restoration PHYSICAL ACCOUNTSMONETARY ACCOUNTS Degradation of water quality Water use Impacts on ecosystems Physico- chemical objectives Biological & hydro-morphological objectives Full recovery of water costs of the WFD = CWS + CMI + CER Cost of the effective measures for meeting the objective of the WFD considered in the Program me of Measures of River Basin Management Plan JLW adapted from: Joan Escriù, Jose Manuel Naredo, Antonio Valero 2007

Opening land cover stocks by ecosystems LCF1 Urban land management LCF2 Urban residential sprawl LCF3 Sprawl of economic sites and infrastructures LCF4 Agriculture internal conversions LCF5 Conversion from other land cover to agriculture LCF6 Withdrawal of farming LCF7 Forests creation and management LCF8 Water bodies creation and management LCF9 Changes of Land Cover due to natural and multiple causes Change in land cover (formation - consumption) Final land cover stocks by ecosystems LCF1 Urban land management LCF2 Urban residential sprawl LCF3 Sprawl of economic sites and infrastructures LCF4 Agriculture internal conversions LCF5 Conversion from other land cover to agriculture LCF6 Withdrawal of farming LCF7 Forests creation and management LCF8 Water bodies creation and management Agriculture (by crop types) Forestry Infrastructure, transport Economic activities Residential Ecosystem Asset Account Land cover balance Green Landscape Index Landscape nature value Landscape fragmentation Land use (main use, ha + tons + number of units) Landscape Protection and Management Expenditures Taxes and subsidies Investments Landscape Ecological Potential Sector Accounts (Supply & Use, MFA, NAMEA, Expenditures) Virtual land embodied in Import-Export Virtual land by products Linkage table Accounts & Indexes : Land Ecosystem Accounts Carbon/Biomass productivity & storage Water availability (quantity*quality) LCF = Land Cover Flows, as in EEA Land Cover Accounts 2006 report

Corine land cover map (CLC is derived from satellite images) Green Landscape Index (derived from CLC) Nature Value (Naturilis, derived from Natura2000 designated areas) Fragmentation (Effective Mesh Size (MEFF) derived from TeleAtlas Roads and CLC) Landscape Ecological Potential (LEP) 2000, by 1km² grid cell LEP 2000 by NUTS 2/3 Land Index: Landscape Ecological Potential

1990 Change LEAC/ Landscape Ecological Potential , 1km² grid (Source: Ecosystem Accounting for Mediterranean Wetlands, an EEA feasibility study for TEEB) Land Index: LEP, state and change by 1 km² grid Natural Park of Camargue (France)

Dependency Index (part): Virtual Land Use & Agriculture Footprints Trends in EU virtual land flows: EU agricultural land use through international trade between Manel van der Sleen, EEA 2009

Future of National Accounts - from Data and Statistics to Aggregates and Communication Observation, Assessment Communication Core SNA Accounts JLW from W. Radermachers presentation at Eurostat National Accounts Conference 2009 Reading the Present to Prepare the Future, Brussels, 16 September 2009 Data, Statistics Framework Sets of indicators Aggregates

National Accounts from Statistics to Aggregates: Core and Satellite Accounts at the Same Level Observation, Assessment Communication Core SNA Accounts Data, Statistics Framework Sets of indicators Aggregates Satellite Accounts – e.g. SEEA == === //, %, f() Data, Statistics Framework Sets of indicators Aggregates

National Accounts from Statistics to Aggregates: Core and Satellite Accounts at the Same Level Observation, Assessment Communication Core SNA Accounts Aggregates Satellite Accounts – e.g. SEEA == === //, %, f() Common Aggregates of Income & Consumption Data, Statistics Framework Sets of indicators Aggregates Data, Statistics Framework Sets of indicators Aggregates

SNA/SEEA Integrating Ecosystems Ecosystem Capital [stocks, flows, services and health] Subsoil Assets [stocks] Environmental Expenditures, Taxes Ecosystem Mean Remediation Costs Material & Energy Flows I-O Tables / NAMEA Ecosystem Functional Services Natural capital / assets SNA flows, assets & adjusted aggregates Ecosystem Remedation Costs in Imports (less in Exports) Ecosystem Capital [stocks, flows, services & health] Rest of the World Physical flows Monetary flows Natural Capital Depreciation Subsoil Assets [stocks & flows] Residuals

Ecosystem & valuation: core & functional accounts General/ Core/ Financial AccountsFunctional/ Management/ Analytical Accounts Key Principles Complete, exhaustive Limited imputations No double counts Measure results (GDP, profit…) Established by purposes Imputations as a rule Possible overlaps between accounts Measure costs and benefits Scale National AccountsSNA Standard classifications (ISIC, CPC) SEEA/ core accounts Satellite accounts (e.g. SEEA/ functional accounts) Functional classifications (COFOG…) Corporate Accounts Financial accounts/ ControlManagement/ Analytical accounts/ Business planning ProjectsFinancial accountsCosts-benefits analysis Measurement Physical UnitsLimited to additional indicators (e.g. SNA & employment; business accounts & bottom of balance sheets recordings) Full part of the system (e.g. SEEA physical tables or business calculation of unitary prices of commodities …) Observed monetary values Actual flows and stocks ValuationImputation for capital depreciation (SNA & consumption of fixed capital; business accounts & capital maintenance cost) Financial valuation of assets as NPV of observed benefits from economic assets can by used as surrogate to market prices NB: no virtual benefits being recorded in core or financial accounts, ecosystem assets valuation is not possible in this framework Imputation for capital depreciation Imputation of virtual costs (forward looking) Imputation of virtual benefits non market ecosystem services Financial valuation of assets as NPV of observed and virtual benefits NB: imputations are possible here because the functional framework doesnt impose aggregating competing functions

Fast track implementation: as simple as possible, as accurate as necessary Based on QA/QC existing monitoring data and statistics Mine/sample monitoring networks (space, in situ…) Verification, counter-expertise to be considered from the start because of foreseen use in policy making, legal cases, money allotment Joint use with National Accounts Extensive use of statistics: agriculture, demography, transport, energy, trade… Spatially explicit Hot issues not concealed within national average values Acceptability of global messages by local stakeholders Relevant geographical units: countries, regions + catchments, socio-ecological systems Standard EU 1 km² grid as a tool for geographical integration Consider EU within the Global Environment Time relevant Hot issues not concealed within annual average values: work from frequent monitoring when necessary Results delivered in time for policy making: at least for annual budgetary debates Nowcasting is part of the quick start package (e.g. EEA QuickScan tool)

Implementation and work sharing…. (to be drafted) EEA Eurostat –ESEA: MFA, Namea, Expenditure –Statistical regulation ? JRC ESA GMES