London Group Convenes for its 30th meeting in Washington, D.C.

The 30th Meeting of the London Group on Environmental Accounting was hosted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) from 30 September to 3 October 2024 in Washington, D.C., United States of America. This is the second time that the BEA welcomed the London Group, having previously hosted the second meeting of the group in 1995.

The London Group is a city group of the United Nations Statistical Commission that supports the methodological development of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA), and convenes annually to discuss research, advancements and challenges regarding the SEEA and its implementation.

This year’s meeting brought together approximately 60 participants from 17 countries, primarily from national statistical offices, along with representatives from international organizations and academic institutions.

The main focus of the meeting was the update of the SEEA Central Framework (SEEA CF), the proposal for which was endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) in March 2024. It is anticipated that the updated SEEA CF will be brought to the UNSC for endorsement in March 2028. The members of the London Group prepared and presented draft papers on the treatment of human-induced flows within the environment; the treatment of emission trading schemes and issues in taxes and subsidies accounts; accounting for climate change mitigation and adaptation expenditures; treatment of water in the SEEA CF; definitions and scope of natural capital; and soil accounts. These papers were thoroughly discussed, and feedback received during the meeting will be used to refine the drafts. The finalized papers will directly inform the work of the task teams which will draft guidance notes for the update; it is anticipated that London Group members will also join the relevant task teams.

The event also featured a celebratory session which marked the 30th anniversary of the group since its inaugural meeting in March 1994 in London. This session highlighted the London Group’s pivotal role in shaping the existing SEEA standards, explored future directions, and shared anecdotes from the 29 previous meetings.

The next London Group meetings are planned to take place in Tallinn, Estonia (2025), hosted by Statistics Estonia and in Guatemala (2026), hosted by Banco de Guatemala. These meetings will serve as an opportunity for in-person discussions on the issues for the update of the SEEA Central Framework, as well as to share experiences and methodological issues for the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting.

For access to all meeting papers and presentations, visit the meeting website: London Group on Environmental Accounting, 30th Meeting | System of Environmental Economic Accounting