Update of the SEEA Central Framework
The SEEA Central Framework was adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 43rd Session in 2012, as the first international statistical standard for environmental-economic accounting. Since then, there have been a number of new, emerging demands for integrated environmental and economic data in support of climate change, circular economy, biodiversity and other policies. There have also been updates to related statistical standards and classifications, such as the System of National Accounts 2025. Thus, at its 55th Session in 2024, the United Nations Statistical Commission endorsed the proposed update of the SEEA Central Framework (Decision 55/109(a) of E/CN.3/2024/36).
The update of the SEEA Central framework is being carried out under the auspices of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting (UNCEEA) and its Technical Committee on the SEEA Central Framework, in close collaboration with the London Group on Environmental Accounting and other expert groups. The UNCEEA, thus, prepared a list of issues for the update of the SEEA Central Framework and outlined the update process, which were endorsed at the 56th Session of the Statistical Commission in 2025.
List of issues for the update of the SEEA Central framework
In 2024, the UNCEEA, through its Technical Committee on the SEEA Central Framework, worked on finalizing the proposed list of issues for the update. The Technical Committee developed an initial list of issues based on the research agenda of the SEEA Central Framework; issues arising from its implementation; discussions at the meetings of the London Group on Environmental Accounting; and issues from the update of the 2008 SNA.
The initial list of issues was circulated for global consultation from July to September 2024. For more information on the global consultation visit its webpage here. The Technical Committee reviewed and discussed the feedback from the global consultation (see Annex for a summary) and made some adjustments in the list of issues proposed for the update of the SEEA Central Framework.
The final list of 29 issues was reviewed by the UNCEEA Bureau and the broader UNCEEA, and endorsed by the Statistical Commission at its 56th Session in March 2025. Please find the final list of issues in the background document to the Commission as well as in excel format with descriptions.
Process on the update of the SEEA Central framework
Overall, the update of the SEEA Central Framework is carried out under the auspices of the UNCEEA and it follows a three-pronged approach: (a) undertaking technical research to reach recommended guidance on the issues identified for the update; (b) engaging in broad consultations with compilers, users and relevant stakeholders; and (c) coordination and collaboration with different expert communities and update processes to ensure consistency and relevance of the updated recommendations.
Four task teams have been established under the Technical Committee to undertake the technical research and draft guidance notes. The four task teams are on: A. Overarching issues, including consistency with the SNA; B. Physical flow accounts; C. Environmental activity accounts and related flows; and D. Asset accounts. The update issues were assigned to one of the four task teams and assigned a priority, and the nature of treatment needed (i.e., substantive or textual).
For more information on the update process, please see the Statistical Commission's background document on the process.
Dedicated pages to task teams will be developed in due course. This page will be updated throughout the update of the SEEA CF.