South Africa First Natural Capital Accounting Forum

South Africa’s first-ever national Natural Capital Accounting Forum will take place in Pretoria at Statistics South Africa’s Head Office, ISIbalo House, on 10-11 July 2019. The Forum is hosted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). It aims to explore how natural capital accounting can support South Africa’s progress towards a green economy, including its linkages to South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The two-day meeting will convene a range of actors including the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, the Departments of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Water and Sanitation, and National Treasury, as well as the private sector and NGOs.

South Africa is at the forefront of the global NCA movement. It is one of five countries  (along with Brazil, China, India and Mexico) participating in an international project on natural capital accounting – the NCA and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (NCA&VES) Project. The project is co-led in South Africa by Stats SA and the SANBI, in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs and global project leaders, the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) and UN Environment, with funding from the European Union. South Africa is the first of the pilot countries to hold a national NCA Forum.

Early highlights from South Africa’s new national land and ecosystem accounts will be presented at the Forum. Speakers will include the Statistician-General, the CEO of SANBI, and the EU Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa.

For updates and news follow Stats SA on Twitter @StatsSA or SANBI @SANBI_ZA with the hashtag #NaturalCapitalAccounting #EcosystemAccounting. Also visit the Stats SA Website: http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=5992 for more information