Page 175 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 2

IPS195 Albert B.
As a third item, certain environmental activities, like protection expenditures,
are included in the SEEA-2012-CF.
However, accounting for degradation and other measurement topics
associated with ecosystems are not covered in the SEEA-central framework
(SEEA-CF, 2012, p. ix). Excluded as well are oceans and the atmosphere, due to
their magnitude. Full valuation of assets and flows related to natural resources
and land beyond the valuation included in the SNA remains an outstanding
issue (SEEA-CF, 2012, p. viii). Basically the SEEA-2012-CF focusses on the
material benefits from the direct use of environmental assets or natural inputs
for the economy by enterprises and households. By contrast, this does not
cover the non-material benefits from the indirect use of environmental assets,
like benefits from ecosystems services (SEEA-CF, 2012, p.13).

2. Ecosystem services and assets
2.1 Conceptual approach
A more comprehensive and growing approach to look at the role of
nature for sustainable economic growth and human well-being is based on
2
the concept of ecosystem services and assets . In general terms the idea is that
ecosystems (ES) provide benefits to humanity free of charge, which have a
fundamental importance for human well-being, health, livelihood and survival.
(MA, 2005; TEEB, 2010). Often-quoted ES-examples are cleaning of air and
water, wild food and crops, natural medicines, but also pollination, climate
regulation, filtration of pollutants by wetlands, recreation facilities, soil
formation and photosynthesis or biodiversity (MA 2005, TEEB 2010, p. 7). The
amount of benefits provided to human societies usually depends on the type
and quality of the ecosystem considered and hence may vary from one region
to another. The spatial perspective therefore is a fundamental element of the
ES-concept.
The ES-approach goes a step further and looks at the natural processes
from an economic viewpoint. Like in the SNA, a distinction is made between
flows, which are measured over a period of time and stocks, which are
captured at a certain point in time:
- The benefits provided by ecosystems to human societies are
interpreted as services, in this case ecosystem services. The natural
processes from which the ES services are resulting are looked at as a
3
kind of production activity.
- On the other hand, the ecosystem capacity is considered as an asset,
sometimes called natural capital. The ES capacity may be negatively or

2 The experimental methodology for ecosystem accounting has been published separately
(SEEA-CF, 2012).
However, in the case of economic services their production is adjusted to demand, which
3
seems different for ES-services.
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