Natural capital accounting: From pilot accounts to national implementation

Virtual Seminar
Washington, DC 20460
United States

Contact: Carl Pasurka, 202-566-2275 ([email protected])

Presenter:  Kenneth J. Bagstad (USGS) and Scott Wentland (BEA)

Description:  Natural capital accounts (NCA) and environmental-economic statistics organize environmental and economic data to provide a consistent view of the state of the nation's natural resource stocks and flows and their economic contributions to the national economy. With the publication of international NCA statistical standards and guidances over the last decade, consensus approaches to NCA are increasingly being applied around the world. In the U.S., recent pilot work on NCA began in 2016, and in April 2022, the White House announced the intent to develop a national strategy for NCA and a plan for its implementation over the next 10-15 years (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/04/24/accounting-for-nature-on-earth-day-2022). In this presentation, we will provide an overview of what NCA is, describe past U.S. efforts and the upcoming national NCA strategy, followed by a discussion of EPA's role in the development and use of NCA together with a wide range of Federal government agencies and departments.

Background papers:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041621001170

https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ecosystem-services/special-issue/10RZK17R0JP

This seminar is not open to the media. The purpose of the seminar, and all our seminars, is to foster the free exchange of information. For media inquiries, please contact the Office of Public Affairs (https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-public-affairs-opa).