System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA Ecosystem Accounting) | Statistics

This e-Learning course introduces the System of Environmental Economic Accounting--Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA Ecosystem Accounting), the international statistical standard for organizing data about ecosystems, measuring ecosystem services, tracking changes in ecosystem assets, and linking this information to economic and other human activity. This is a new course as of May 2022, following the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting standard that was adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2021.

Target Audience

Target participants are staff of national statistical offices, line ministries, other agencies working on issues related to the environment and those interested in learning more about the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting.

Learning Objectives

This course provides an overview of ecosystem accounting including details on, among others, spatial units, ecosystem condition, ecosystem services, valuation of ecosystem services, scenario analysis and compilation of indicators. By the end of the course, participants will be expected to:

Have a general understanding of the accounts presented in the SEEA EA and their relevance in policy;
Understand how spatial units of ecosystem types can be delineated and are used in accounting for compiling ecosystem extent accounts;
Understand the concepts and the general approach for the measurement of ecosystem condition and ecosystem services;
Describe how biophysical modelling can be applied for ecosystem accounting; and
Describe the purpose and approaches to the valuation of ecosystem services and ecosystem assets.