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Natural Capital Accounting in the U.S.: Preliminary Tables, Methodological Issues, and Data Challenges
Citation:
Wentland, S., Z. Ancona, K. Bagstad, J. Boyd, C. Shapiro, C. Ingram, J. Adkins, C. Casey, C. Duke, P. Glynn, M. Grasso, J. Hass, M. Meris, J. Johnson, G. Lange, J. Matusak, A. Miller, K. Oleson, L. Olander, C. Rhodes, M. Russell, F. Soulard, A. Troy, M. Vardon, F. Villa, B. Voigt, S. Wentland, AND K. Warnell. Natural Capital Accounting in the U.S.: Preliminary Tables, Methodological Issues, and Data Challenges. London Group, Dublin, N/A, IRELAND, October 01 - 04, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Our paper and presentation will document issues and challenges shared by statistical agencies from around the world who seek to implement SEEA CF and SEEA EEA accounts and make progress on the SEEA CF research agenda. Among a number of broader linkages to the London Group and SEEA CF research agendas, this presentation will include an overview of the U.S. accounts thus far, with specific questions to leverage the London Group’s expertise regarding integration of the physical accounts with valuation data, linkages to industry classifications and economic sectors, and advice for next steps with ecosystem services and other accounts.
Description:
An interdisciplinary working group comprised of experts in economics, accounting, and the natural sciences has worked to develop proof-of-concept natural capital accounts (land, water, and ecosystems) for the United States using existing data sources. With support from the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) and the USGS Powell Center, the group has endeavored to integrate data from multiple sources to assemble accounts following methods from the SEEA CF and SEEA EEA at national and subnational scales. Specifically, the land and water accounts draw on (1) existing land cover and land use datasets generated by the USGS and others, (2) property value data from Zillow provided to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) through a public-private partnership, (3) USGS water use reports, (4) USGS and U.S. EPA water quality and emissions data, and (5) BEA and USGS data to quantify water productivity. The preliminary land account tables link land use, land cover, and land value data at state and national levels to generate linkages between land and industry/commercial uses via NAICS classifications. In addition, the group has worked to develop four initial water accounts, physical supply and use, water emissions, water quality, and water productivity, with an effort to conceptually map the linkages between water quality constituents monitored by USGS and economic sectors tracked in 5-year USGS water use reports. Ecosystem accounts have begun by quantifying condition, capacity, and physical supply-use for several ecosystem services, starting in the U.S. Southeast and then scaling to the national level. As part of this effort, we wish to solicit critical feedback on the scope, data sources, methodologies, and quality of these first-generation, experimental products (for the United States).