African NCA Community of Practice Webinar: The Use of Natural Capital Accounts in Policy Scenario Analysis

The webinar is part of a series under the Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice organized in cooperation between UNSD and the World Bank Global Program on Sustainability, the Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability in Africa, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Green Growth Knowledge Platform, the Conservation International and the Capitals Coalition. 

 

Date and time: Thursday, 29 October 2020 at 12:00 - 13:30 UTC / 14:00 - 15:30 CEST / 16:00 - 17:30 EAT / 09:00 - 10:30 EDT

 

Context

As part of the Africa NCA Community of Practice (CoP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) offers to host a webinar on the subject of “The Use of Natural Capital Accounts in Policy Scenario Analysis”.

This webinar is inspired by ongoing work, jointly with United Nations Statistics Division, to develop “Guidelines on the use of ecosystem accounts in policy scenario analysis in the context of SEEA EEA” as part of the EU-funded Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (NCAVES) project.

We are delighted that Andrea Bassi, Founder and CEO, KnowlEdge Srl and extraordinary associate professor of System Dynamics Modelling at Stellenbosch University will present his work on development of the guidelines and experience in application of the modelling techniques in examples from Africa. We are honoured that Josephine Musango, Professor with the School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University will share her experiences of systems dynamics modelling using natural capital accounts.

 

Objective

The objective of this webinar is to raise understanding within the CoP of techniques for the use of natural capital accounts, especially ecosystem accounts, in scenario analysis to inform policy decision making, drawing on examples from Africa. There will be an extended moderated discussion in which countries are invited to share their experiences of the use of natural capital accounts in policy making, and what is needed to do so in future.

 

Moderator: Will Speller & Monica Lopez Conlon, UN Environment

 

Outline:

1. Welcome - Peter Katanisa, Community of Practice Coordinator

2. BackgroundWill Speller / Monica Lopez Conlon, UN Environment

Overview of the context for the webinar and the development of the guidelines as part of the EU-funded NCAVES project.

3. The use of natural capital accounts in policy scenario analysis: guidelines and examplesAndrea Bassi, KnowlEdge Srl and Stellenbosch University

Technical presentation on the role that ecosystem accounts can play in policy scenario analysis, focusing on defining scenario analysis, methods the development of scenarios, approaches to modelling, linking models to policy decisions, and the application of real-life policy examples in Africa.

4. Experience in application of scenario modelling using natural capital accounts - Josephine Musango, Stellenbosch University

Reflects on the practical experience of modelling scenarios and using natural capital accounts.

5. Moderated discussion - All speakers

Open Q&A with the audience. Participants are invited to ask questions of the presenters and to share their own experiences of the use of natural capital accounts in policymaking in general, and through scenario analysis specifically.

 

Recording of the webinar

Event Date

Thursday, 29 October 2020 - 9:00am