International

The Dutch Natural capital accounts follow the guidelines of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). In March 2021, the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) adopted the SEEA EA as an international statistical standard. This means that countries will map and measure their natural capital in a standardized way, promoting international comparisons and cooperation.

The SEEA EA is developed through collaboration among economists, ecologists, modelers, and statisticians, with support from organizations such as the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Eurostat, the European Environment Agency (EEA), and various NGOs. This broad collaboration has led to a standardized method for monitoring the extent and condition of ecosystems, and the services they provide.

The Natural capital accounts are important because they offer a consistent way to monitor the current changes in environmental quality and biodiversity. At the same time, they help quantify and illustrate the importance of conserving and protecting nature. This contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between economic activity and ecosystem health, emphasizing the importance of sustainable management of natural resources.

Eurostat

Starting in 2026, Natural capital accounting will become mandatory for reporting by all EU member states under a new European regulation. This means that some of the work done by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) for the Natural capital accounts will become obligatory.

Member states will be required to report on the following:

• The extent and changes of ecosystems, including a matrix that tracks conversions between ecosystem types.
• The condition of ecosystems will also be recorded, such as the percentage of green urban areas, particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in cities, and the organic carbon stock in soils for cropland and grassland. Additionally, countries must report on biodiversity indicators like the farmland and forest bird index and the share of artificial areas in coastal and wetland regions.
• The supply and use of ecosystem services must be reported. This includes crop production, pollination, wood supply, air filtration, local and global climate regulation, and nature tourism.

These mandatory standardized figures will provide a clear overview of the state of nature and ecosystem services across Europe. The first reference year for these reports is 2024, and the first reference year for the conversion matrix is from 2024 to 2027. Eurostat has developed detailed guidelines, in consultation with member states, to ensure these accounts are consistent and reliable.