Virtual Expert Forum on SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting 2020

The Virtual Expert Forum on SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA) 2020 will be held online in several sessions between June and September 2020 (see exact dates below). The Virtual Forum is organized by the United Nations Statistics Division in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Bank, and is an activity under the “Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services” project funded by the European Union.

The revision of the SEEA EEA was launched in 2018 and the global consultation on individual chapters has already started. The aim of the revision process is to develop standardized methodologies for ecosystem accounting taking into consideration the high policy demands in particular in the context of the development of the monitoring framework for the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework that will be adopted by the Conference of Parties to be held in China, the IUCN World Congress, the UN Ocean Conference and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

This Virtual Forum builds on the previous Forums which contributed to the advancement of the theory and practice of ecosystem accounting. The Virtual Forum objective is to provide a general overview of the status of the revision process, present the results of testing in countries and discuss remaining methodological issues, including some cross-cutting issues.

Session schedule

The Virtual Forum will take place in separate sessions, each session will be 3 hours long and take place at 7-10am NY time (13:00-16:00 CET) on the dates specified below. Each session will start with a general overview of the current state of the methodological development and testing followed by specific issues to be discussed in breakout groups. Final agenda and list of issues for discussion will be developed for each session in due course, taking also into account the responses to the global consultation.

• Session 1: Ecosystem extent and condition – 23-24 June
• Session 2: Valuation and accounting treatments – 14-15 July
• Session 3: Ecosystem services – 24-25 August
• Session 4: Thematic accounts and indicators - 9-10 November

Sign-up form

Invited countries, organizations and experts will receive a link to an online sign-up form and participants will need to sign-up for each session separately. Only registered participants will receive the connection links.