Topical collection on monetary valuation for ecosystem accounting

The UN System of Economic and Environmental Accounts (SEEA) Ecosystem Accounts (EA) was approved in March 2021 as a statistical standard (UN 2021). The SEEA EA identifies a research and development agenda for monetary valuation for ecosystem accounting. Research is called i.a. for on identifying connections between exchange values and other complementary approaches; demonstrating spatially explicit valuation that is a function of geographical variation in ecosystem condition and physical ecosystem services; and related to this, how to carry out value transfer for ecosystem accounting areas; applying monetary ecosystem accounts to different policy-support purposes; and related to this, consideration of variations in institutional context of valuation; applications of future flows and prices in asset value calculations. Examples of monetary valuation for ecosystem accounting are available in some lead countries and projects, but further open access publication of experiences by and for practitioners has been called for by the practitioner community. The EU funded project MAIA – Mapping and Assessment for integrated ecosystem accounting (https://maiaportal.eu/) aims to support ecosystem accounting in European countries. One of its objectives is to deliver guidance on monetary valuation methods for ecosystem accounting. This Topical Collection in One Ecosystem offers practitioners a venue to disseminate papers (i) exemplifying the purpose and principles of monetary valuation for ecosystem accounting, (ii) disseminating practical applications of monetary ecosystem accounts, and (iii) addressing the SEEA EA research agenda regarding monetary valuation methods for ecosystem accounting.