Text from ESWG
The Dasgupta report on Biodiversity. Accounting for Nature
The Economic Statistics Working Group (ESWG)* is organising a series of seminars on the “missing capitals”, those assets such as natural, human and social capital which traditionally have received less attention in economic analysis and debate but which are increasingly recognised to be central.
The first in the series will be devoted to issues concerning the measurement of natural capital. Sir Partha Dasgupta’s landmark report on Biodiversity calls for improvements to economic accounting to recognise and measure natural assets and progressively move towards measuring inclusive wealth. Professor Dasgupta will speak about his recommendations and will be followed by other distinguished experts in this field. The focus will be on the agenda for moving forward in this area.
Programme
Chair: Tera Allas (Director of Research and Economics, McKinsey & Company, UK & Ireland) – Welcome and introduction
- Why we need changes to economic accounting for natural assets – Sir Partha Dasgupta (Frank Ramsay Emeritus Professor of Economics. University of Cambridge)
- Data needs for ecosystem assessment: issues and ways forward – Hilary Allison (Head of Programme, Ecosystem Assessment of Policy Support. United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre)
- Accounting for nature: meeting the challenges – Richard Heys (Deputy Chief Economic Adviser, Office for National Statistics)
- Measuring natural assets for human well-being – Paul Ekins (Professor of Resources and Environment Policy. UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources)
Panel Discussion
What’s the agenda now? How do we now make a practical difference?
Chair: Joe Grice (Co-chair, Green Growth Knowledge Platform Expert Group on Natural Capital)
Panel members include:
Karen Ellis (Director of Sustainable Economy WWF-UK)
Philip Aldrick (Economics Editor, The Times)
John Curnow (Chief Economist, Defra)
*ESWG – the Economic Statistics Working Group – is a collaboration between the Royal Statistical Society, the Royal Economic Society, the Society of Professional Economists, Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence and the Office for National Statistics. Its objects are to raise the profile of, and to stimulate debate about, issues in economic measurement.
