1. UN Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting
Framework for Developing Environmental Statistics
Presentation to the
UN Committee of Experts on
Environmental-Economic Accounting
June 25, 2009

2. Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
Background
How the project came about
Summary of strategy and activities to date
Produce a “think piece” to introduce the idea and to start initial discussions
Solicit support for the Framework from key stakeholders, especially relevant policy departments
If successful in obtaining buy-in, proceed with further development of Framework components
How was the work initiated?
Environment was one of the first subject-matter areas that captured the interest of Munir Sheikh, shortly after assuming his new role as Chief Statistician in April Among his first key observations: environment statistics seem ad hoc in nature, the quality of datasets varies from one source to the next and this seems to be an area where Statistics Canada, the national statistical agency, does not play as big a role as it ought to play, particularly in ensuring coherence and quality of published statistics. Ivan Fellegi agreed with these general observations. Munir gained the support of the then DM-Environment and Clerk of the Privy Council to pursue the Framework initiative.
Who contributed in its development?
Drafting the Proposed Framework was primarily a joint effort by EASD management and Statcan senior management.
Summary of strategy and activities to date:
A series of brainstorming sessions with the Chief Statistician was held throughout the Summer and Fall 2008 to discuss the overall approach and broad content of the Framework. The initial results of the brainstorming were presented at the first round of consultations with key federal policy departments in November Following the initial round of comments, Statcan produced a draft document that has been circulated to the federal departments most involved in environmental issues and tabled at the UN Statistical Commission in February A revised paper incorporating comments from national and international partners will be prepared later in the year.
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

3. Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
Canadian Context
Existing environmental statistics are ad hoc and have varying degrees of data quality
Data collection and reporting: largely conducted for individual policy initiatives
Difficult to integrate data from different programs (classifications and definitions used, inconsistent methodologies, etc.)
Important data gaps which prevent a complete evaluation of the environmental issues/challenges
Current gaps and challenges related to basic environmental statistics also have impacts on the development of Statistics Canada’s Environmental Accounting Programme.
Environmental Accounting Programme does not meet/satisfy the Policy needs
statistical requirements are broader than the environment-economic accounts.
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

4. Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
Key Messages
Desire to engage senior managers of policy departments and central agencies
Framework document is a starting point; Statistics Canada’s first effort to capture users’ attention and start a dialogue about potential gains in terms of improving the integration of environmental datasets
Emphasis on the role of the statistical agency and quality standards
Quality of the datasets
Quality of the execution of statistical activities
Focus in on responding to information needs of Policy
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

5. Proposed Framework Previous Statistics Canada “frameworks”
Pressure-state-response (’70s to ’80s)
Environmental accounting (early ’90s)
Natural capital (late ’90s-early 2000)
Based current paper on the ecosystems approach
High-level objective
Measuring and monitoring of environmental quality
Key target variables
Freshwater ecosystem quality
Marine ecosystem quality
Terrestrial ecosystem quality
Air quality
Water quality
Previous Statcan efforts related to statistical frameworks were primarily aimed at measuring the interactions between human activities and the environment and their linkages with the economic framework:
PSR and DPSIR (driving forces-pressure-state-impacts-response) framework: based on the concept of “causality;” highlights human pressures much more than natural pressures
Environmental accounting: based on a neo-classical economic theory that treats environmental assets and liabilities as if their contribution to economic acitivity were similar to that of conventional, marketed assets and liabilities
Natural capital: different from the first two frameworks in that this presents a conceptual framework which attempts to reconcile economic and environmental interests by incorporating the value of natural environments in decision-making; operationally, most of the empirical research using the natural capital approach centered on natural resource management (env-econ linkages).
There is a need to clearly distinguish between conceptual and statistical or measurement frameworks:
The proposed framework is an ecosystem-based conceptual framework:
Stocks and flows of physical/biological phenomenon
Flows within and between ecosystems
No attempt to value stocks and flows
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

6. Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
Framework and SEEA
Major advancements in environmental-economic accounting reflected in SEEA
good starting point for elaborating Framework components
Framework’s emphasis on governance and role of national statistical agency in quality assurance
improved datasets for use in the production of the SEEA accounts
Statistics Canada has actively participated in the path forward for environmental-economic accounting and SEEA development.
Statcan representation:
London Group – SEEA revision; new work on water and energy
Oslo Group on Energy Statistics
WGEIO
“New” Joint UNECE/Eurostats/OECD Working Group on Measuring Sustainable Development (WGSSD)
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

7. Identifying sub-components
High-level objective
Measuring and monitoring environmental quality
Key target variables
Freshwater ecosystem quality
Marine ecosystem quality
Terrestrial ecosystem quality
Air quality
Water quality
EXAMPLES
of sub- components (stocks and flows)
Freshwater species diversity
Extent and number of invasive freshwater species
Stocks of freshwater resources
Extraction of freshwater resources
Marine species diversity
Extent and number of invasive marine species
Stocks of marine resources
Extraction of marine resources
Terrestrial species diversity
Extent and number of invasive terrestrial species
Stocks of terrestrial resources
Extraction of terrestrial resources
Ambient concentrations of air pollutants
Air pollution by source
Greenhouse gas emissions
Ambient concentrations of water pollutants
Water pollution by source and type of pollutant
Water withdrawal by purpose
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

8. Linking the Framework to Policy
Example of an Environmental Policy Issue: Climate Change
High-level objective
Measuring and monitoring environmental quality
Key target variables
Freshwater ecosystem quality
Marine ecosystem quality
Terrestrial ecosystem quality
Air quality
Water quality
Drivers
Land-use change
Greenhouse gas emissions
Impacts
Water availability
Biodiversity
Rising sea levels
Deforestation
Habitat loss
Average temperatures
Meteorological systems
Water renewal
Water balance
Mitigation
Reforestation
Sustainable agricultural practices
Clean fuels
Renewable and alternative energy
Adaptation
Redirecting water systems, waterways
Alternative irrigation systems
Changes to navigation routes
Restructuring seawalls
Land use
Adjustments to agricultural cycles (planting, harvesting, etc)
Water use changes
Altering water treatment systems
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

9. Feedback from partners: Canada
General support for the initiative; understanding of the rationale by key Policy departments
Need further assessment of:
Rationale for choosing the ecosystem approach over other frameworks
Weaknesses and knowledge gap in the current statistical system that the framework will seek to address, particularly Policy information needs
Linkages within framework components and across other frameworks
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

10. Feedback from partners: Canada
Need further assessment of:
International context: ongoing and emerging priorities; compatibility with international standards; consistency with work by international bodies
Potential impacts on data collection agreements with provinces and territories
What is Statistics Canada’s long-term vision and plan of action with respect to the framework?
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

11. Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
Next steps
High-level follow-up discussion with federal policy departments
Establish Statcan’s role, responsibility and required resources
Development the action plan for broader stakeholder consultations
Science & research community and academia
Provincial/territorial and local governments
Elaboration of the framework components: data requirements and gaps assessment
Which priority area(s) to focus on?
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019

12. Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
Discussion
Do other countries share similar experiences with respect to the challenges in producing environmental statistics?
How are environmental statistics integration and data quality assurance carried out?
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
1/3/2019