The Global Assessment of Environmental-Economic Accounting and Supporting Statistics is a survey administered under the auspices of the UN Committee of Experts on Environmental Economic Accounting (UNCEEA). The aim of the Global Assessment is to assess the progress of implementation of the SEEA in countries and to provide data for  SDG indicator 15.9.1(in particular, sub-indicator 15.9.1 (b)). The Committee defines implementation in three progressive stages: 1) compilation (including pilot compilation); 2) compilation and dissemination; and 3) regular compilation and dissemination. More information on how the Committee views implementation can be found here.

The Assessment has previously been administered in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2021, either as a benchmark or abbreviated assessment. Benchmark assessments serve to gain a detailed understanding of national SEEA implementation, including institutional and funding arrangements, countries’ priorities and future plans for implementing accounts, technical assistance received and provided, and the use of the accounts. The last benchmark assessment was administered in 2020, and the next benchmark assessment will be administered in 2023.

The 2022 assessment was run as an abbreviated assessment, which are those assessments administered in non-benchmark years. Abbreviated assessments seek to obtain updates from respondents to the previous benchmark assessment and only collect updated information on new implementation and compilation activities.

According to the 2022 Global Assessment report, 92 countries have implemented the SEEA. Of these 92 countries, 66 (72 per cent) publish at least one account on a regular basis (stage III); 16 (17 per cent) publish their accounts on an ad-hoc basis (stage II); while 10 countries (11 per cent) compile, but do not yet publish their accounts (stage I). Out of the 92 countries compiling the SEEA, nearly all (91 out of 92) compile SEEA Central Framework accounts. In addition, nearly half (41) of these countries compile the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting.

Note: The boundaries and names shown, and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

Figure 1: SEEA implementation, 2022

The number of countries implementing the SEEA has increased over the years with the exception of a brief period of stagnation in implementation between 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Number of countries implementing the SEEA over the years

Click here to learn more about the results of the 2006, 2008, 2014 and 2017 Global Assessments.

More detailed country-by-country information from the 2020 Global Assessment can be found here.

More detailed country-by-country information from the 2021 Global Assessment can be found here.

More detailed country-by-country information from the 2022 Global Assessment can be found here.