Integrating environmental data
in a
National Statistical System
International experiences of data consolidation, knowledge building, and information integration

Part 1: Environmental Statistics in the National Statistical Offices

Presentation provided to
The Argentinian National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC)
June 2022

Francois Soulard
Francois.soulard@rogers.com
Twitter: @soulfra
2 Why are we here today?

 “INDEC recognises the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, originally
developed by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 1992
and later taken on by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC)”
 First principle: “official statistics provide an indispensable element in the
information system of a democratic society, serving the Government, the
economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social
and environmental situation.”
 https://www.indec.gob.ar/ftp/cuadros/publicaciones/politica_difusion_indec_ingles.pdf

 Task: Prepare and deliver a presentation on “relevant international
experiences of data consolidation, knowledge building, and information
assembling towards building and integrating environmental data and its
valuation”
3 Overview of presentation
1. National Statistical Offices (NSO) and environmental statistics
1. Wide variety of scale and scope of efforts

2. Environmental Statistics Frameworks
1. Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES)
2. System of Environmental-Economic Accounting

3. Suggested Next Steps
4 NSOs and Official Environmental Statistics

1. There is an increasing need for integrated, ongoing, reliable environmental information

2. NSOs are in the best position to be the national data broker

3. NSOs are used to reporting data and using data integration frameworks

“Asking statistics offices (to take responsibility for
collecting and reporting environmental
data) was a stroke of genius” Nature, The
international journal of science / 20 February
2020
5

Framework for the Development of
Environmental Statistics (FDES)
6 Framework for the Development of
Environmental Statistics (FDES)
UN Statistical Commission endorsed the revised Framework for the Development of
Environment Statistics (FDES 2013) in its 44th session in 2013 as the framework for
strengthening environment statistics programmes in all countries
1. Useful to collect and compile environmental data using a rigorous approach
2. Useful to identify data gaps and assess data quality
3. Useful to support the application of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounts
4. Useful to support the measurement of Sustainable Development Goals
5. Can help with measure of various other international conventions and treaties, such as the
Aichi Target, the Post-2020 Global Diversity framework, the (UNFCCC), the Ramsar
converntion, etc
6. …
 https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envstats/fdes.cshtml
 https://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/FDES/FDES-2015-supporting-tools/FDES.pdf
 https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envstats/fdes/FDES-2015-supporting-tools/FDES_Spanish.pdf
7 Framework for the Development of
Environmental Statistics (FDES)

https://stat-confluence.escap.un.org/display/RPOES/Resource+Platform+on+Environment+Statistics
8 State-Pressure-Response Framework

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DPSIR
9 FDES
What it is:
 a conceptual framework that assists in the development, coordination
and organization of environment statistics and related socio-economic
and demographic statistics.

What it does
 Helps to delineate the scope of environment statistics and identify its
constituents;
 Contributes to the assessment of data requirements, sources, availability
and gaps;
 Guides the development of multipurpose data collection processes and
databases; and
 Assists in coordination and organization across institutions.

How it does it
 The FDES describes the scope and components of environment statistics
as measuring:
•The state of the environment
•Our dependence on the environment
•Our impact on it
•Its impact on us (even negative ones)
•How we protect and manage it
1. The state of the environment
10 FDES
2. The environment as an
6. How we protect and manage it
input to the economy

5. The Environment as our
habitat 3. The environment as a
recipient of externalities
from our economies

4. The environment’s negative impact on us
11 FDES: Basic Set of Environment Statistics
The basic set is a comprehensive, but not exhaustive, set of statistics designed to support
countries developing national environment statistics programmes
 Embedded in the FDES 2013
 Consists of 458 individual statistics organized into the structure of the FDES
 Divided into three tiers, based on the level of relevance, availability and methodological
development of the statistics:
• Tier 1, corresponding to the Core Set of Environment Statistics, includes 100 statistics which are of high
priority and relevance to most countries and have a sound methodological foundation. It is
recommended that countries consider producing them in the short-term.
• Tier 2 includes 200 environment statistics which are of priority and relevance to most countries but
require greater investment of time, resources or methodological development. It is recommended that
countries consider producing them in the medium-term.
• Tier 3 includes 158 environment statistics which are either of lower priority or require significant
methodological development. It is recommended that countries consider producing them in the long-
term.

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envstats/fdes/basicset.cshtml
12 FDES: Basic Set of Environment Statistics
13 FDES: Blueprint for Action
1. The Statistical Commission endorsed in 2013 a way
forward for making the FDES 2013 operational
 Supported by the Expert Group on Environment
Statistics (EGES)

I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
II. Capacity building and technical assistance
III. Inter-institutional collaboration
IV. Networking
V. Resource mobilization
VI. Advocacy

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
14 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 IV. Networking
 V. Resource mobilization
 VI. Advocacy

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
15 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 Start/strengthen national development and dissemination of environment
statistics programmes through the application of methodological tools.
 Resources have to be mobilized to properly implement environment statistics

 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 IV. Networking
 V. Resource mobilization
 VI. Advocacy

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
16 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 Participate in the programme of technical assistance and capacity building
using the FDES led by UNSD.
 Initiate national environment statistics programmes and participate in training
and capacity building activities.
 International/regional projects should mobilize donor resources (e.g. international
institutions, regional development banks, etc.) to finance the investment of technical
capacity building into national statistical systems

 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 IV. Networking
 V. Resource mobilization
 VI. Advocacy
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
17 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 Ensure the legal mandate and management organs that are put in place are
appropriate for accomplishing the tasks at hand.
 Start/strengthen national committees for inter-institutional collaboration in the
development of environment statistics.
 Resources have to be mobilized in order to build and/or strengthen national inter-
agency collaboration.

 IV. Networking
 V. Resource mobilization
 VI. Advocacy

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
18 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 IV. Networking
 Develop national capacities to integrate into or create national, regional and
global networks.
 No significant additional resources are needed for networking; existing national
resources should suffice.

 V. Resource mobilization
 VI. Advocacy

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
19 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 IV. Networking
 V. Resource mobilization
 Organize and strengthen the contribution of statistical, policy/management and
expert communities to contribute to the production of environment statistics.
 Request the allocation of adequate resources to environment statistics
programmes. Support and participate in fundraising and advocacy global
groups.
 Resources have to be mobilized in order to support fund raising activities

 VI. Advocacy

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
20 FDES: Blueprint for Action
 I. Methodological development and dissemination of know-how
 II. Capacity building and technical assistance
 III. Inter-institutional collaboration
 IV. Networking
 V. Resource mobilization
 VI. Advocacy
 Develop communication methods to address the different audiences and
circumstances of potential contributors to and users of environment statistics
 Develop communication methods to address the different audiences and
circumstances of potential contributors to and users of environment statistics
 Resources have to be mobilized in order to advocate the importance of environment
statistics

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/BG-FDES-Environment_Blueprint.pdf
21 FDES: Strategic Planning
 A. Preparatory Stage
 B. Foundational Stage
 C. Operational Stage
 D. Consolidation Stage
22 FDES: Strategic Planning
 A. Preparatory Stage
 Creating a national team, establishing leadership and responsibilities;
 Establishing modes of collaboration with other institutions and within each
institution;
 Reviewing of legal framework, mandate and national policy priorities related to
the environment, information and development;
 Establishing policy and user needs;
 Developing a national strategy for establishing an environment statistics
programme;
 Reviewing methodological resources, available in appropriate languages,
including the FDES and the Core Set of Environment Statistics.

 B. Foundational Stage
 C. Operational Stage
 D. Consolidation Stage
23 FDES: Strategic Planning
 A. Preparatory Stage
 B. Foundational Stage
 Assessing data availability and sources for producing environment statistics at
the national level;
 Applying the Self-Assessment tool based on the Core Set of Environment Statistics
to identify possible data gaps that are important to the country;
 Engaging in technical building capacities activities such as training, study tours
and workshops;
 Formalizing and supporting inter- and intra-institutional collaboration mechanisms
and focal points;
 Defining the environment statistics product(s) mostly required within a long-term
time frame
 C. Operational Stage
 D. Consolidation Stage
24 FDES: Strategic Planning
 A. Preparatory Stage
 B. Foundational Stage
 C. Operational Stage
 Adapting the FDES and the Core Set of Environment Statistics to the country’s
needs and priorities;
 Defining a set of environment statistics to be produced at the national level;
 Developing collaboration with national scientists and experts on specific realms
of the environment to consult as needed;
 Developing data compilation and collection instruments and undertaking these
processes;
 Carrying out data validation and developing metadata;
 Preparing publications;
 Disseminating environment statistics products;
 Obtaining feedback.
 D. Consolidation Stage
25 FDES: Strategic Planning
 A. Preparatory Stage
 B. Foundational Stage
 C. Operational Stage
 D. Consolidation Stage
 Institutionalizing and strengthening of environment statistics units;
 Formalizing national inter-institutional collaboration platforms;
 Allocating budget and staff resources dedicated to environment statistics;
 Connecting with and participating in regional and global expert groups,
networks and resources;
 Maintaining and further developing environment statistics’ coverage and
timeliness;
 Ensuring statistical quality
26 FDES: Country examples
1. Bangladesh Environmental Statistics Framework (BESF) 2016-2030 PDF Background Link
2. Botswana Environment Statistics Revised Version, 2016 PDF Background Link
3. Burkina Faso, Yearbook of Environmental Statistics, 2018, French PDF Background Link
4. Burundi, Directory of Statistics of the Burundi Environment, 2016, French PDF Background Link
5. Cabo Verde, Environmental Statistics, 2016, Portuguese PDF Background Link
6. Curacao, Environmental Statistics Compendium, 2015 PDF Background Link
7. Ethiopia, Compendium of Environment Statistics, 2016 PDF Background Link
8. Ghana, National Compendium of Environment Statistics, 2019 PDF Background Link
9. Grenada, Compendium of Environmental Statistics 2020 PDF
10. Guatemala, Compendium of Environment Statistics, 2013, Spanish PDF Background Link
11. Guinea, Yearbook of Environmental Statistics, 2018, French PDF Background Link
12. India, EnviStats India 2021 (Vol.1) PDF Background Link
13. Indonesia, Environment Statistics of Indonesia, 2017, Indonesian and English PDF Background Link
14. Jordan, Environment Statistics, 2014-15, Arabic PDF Background Link
15. Madagascar, Yearbook of Environmental Statistics Under the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics, 2016, French PDF Background Link
16. Mali, Information system data collection - Environmental statistics, 2016, French PDF Background Link
17. Mauritius, Digest of Environment Statistics, 2017 PDF Background Link
18. Montserrat, 2020 Environmental Compendium 2015 to 2019 series PDF Background Link
19. Namibia, Environment Statistics Compendium, September 2020 PDF Background Link
20. Nepal, Environment Statistics of Nepal, 2019 PDF Background Link
21. Nepal, Compendium of Environment Statistics, 2015 PDF Background Link
22. Philippines, Compendium of Philippine Environment Statistics, 2008-17, Statistical Tables PDF Background Link
23. Rwanda, Compendium of Environment Statistics of Rwanda, 2018 PDF Background Link
24. Suriname, Ninth Environment Statistics Publication, 2020 PDF Background Link
25. United Arab Emirates, Compendium of Environment Statistics, 2014 PDF Background Link
26. United Republic of Tanzania, National Environment Statistics Report, 2017 PDF Background Link
27. The Gambia, Environment Statistics Compendium, 2020 PDF Background Link
28. Zambia, Compendium of Environment Statistics, 2015 PDF Background Link
29. Zimbabwe, Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics in Zimbabwe, 2016 PDF Background Link

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envstats/fdescompendia.cshtml
27 FDES: Self-Learning

https://stat-confluence.escap.un.org/display/RPOES/Self-learning%3A+FDES
28 System of Environmental-Economic Accounting

https://stat-confluence.escap.un.org/display/RPOES/Tools%3A+SEEA+-+System+of+Environmental+Economic+Accounting
29 SEEA: One Environment, Two perspectives

CENTRAL FRAMEWORK ECOSYSTEM ACCOUNTING
Starts with the economy and measures individual Starts with ecosystems and links their services
environmental assets and resources to economic and human activity

Timber Water Fish Forests Rivers Corals
30 Why do environment accounts matter?

A System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) can play a critical role of
integrating the economy and the environment, and essentially provide a measure of the
capacity of the environment to sustain economic activity
 Measures the impacts of climate change and loss of biodiversity on the environment,
the economy and society
 Measures the ability of the environment to maintain resilience to human pressures and
support economic activity and people
 Plays a key role in the measurement of indicators such as the Sustainable
Development Goals
31 SEEA: What is it and what it is not
SEEA is :
 A coherent conceptual framework linked to the System of National Accounts
 Aligns concepts, classifications and methods
 Based on accounting principles & systems theory
 Flexible and modular
 Components can be selected and adapted to country / region needs
 The entire system does not need to be complete to be useful

 A source for the creation of various indicators
 Including Sustainable Development Goals, Global Biodiversity Framework

SEEA is NOT
 A model, database or analytical framework
 A measurement framework
32 SEEA: What it allows to do
SEEA
 Provides guidance on producing “accounts” for:
 Natural inputs to the economy and services to society
 Monetary and non-monetary values of ecosystem services and assets
 Pressures of the economy on the environment
 Expenditures to mitigate pressures
 Etc

 Support the development of a statistical infrastructure to
 regularly produce relevant accounts and indicators
 Improve coherence by standardizing concepts, classifications and methods
 Reduce overlaps in data collection
 Improve policy relevance by linking to SNA
SEEA: Global assessment of implementation
33

https://seea.un.org/content/2021-global-assessment-results
34

https://seea.un.org/content/2021-global-assessment-results
35 SEEA Environmental Accounts
Central Framework Accounts Ecosystem Accounts
1. Economy-wide material flow 1. Ecosystem extent accounts
2. Physical supply use table- Water 2. Ecosystem condition accounts
3. Monetary supply use table- Water 3. Ecosystem services supply and use accounts (physical)
4. Physical asset account- Water 4. Ecosystem services supply and use accounts (monetary)
5. Water emission account 5. Ecosystem monetary asset accounts
6. Physical supply use table- Energy 6. Thematic accounts: spatially-explicit land accounts
7. Monetary supply use table- Energy 7. Thematic accounts: spatially-explicit water accounts
8. Physical asset account- Minerals & energy resources 8. Thematic accounts: carbon-related stocks/flows
9. Monetary asset account- Minerals & energy resources 9. Thematic accounts: species accounts
10. Air emission account 10. Thematic accounts: ocean accounts
11. Physical asset account- Land (cover and use) 11. Thematic accounts: urban accounts
12. Monetary asset account- Land (cover and use) 12. Thematic accounts: protected areas
13. Physical asset account- Timber 13. Integrated accounts
14. Integrated Accounts
36 SEEA Environmental Accounts existing in Canada
Central Framework Accounts Ecosystem Accounts
1. Economy-wide material flow 1. Ecosystem extent accounts
2. Physical supply use table- Water 2. Ecosystem condition accounts
3. Monetary supply use table- Water 3. Ecosystem services supply and use accounts (physical)
4. Physical asset account- Water 4. Ecosystem services supply and use accounts (monetary)
5. Water emission account 5. Ecosystem monetary asset accounts
6. Physical supply use table- Energy 6. Thematic accounts: spatially-explicit land accounts
7. Monetary supply use table- Energy 7. Thematic accounts: spatially-explicit water accounts
8. Physical asset account- Minerals & energy resources 8. Thematic accounts: carbon-related stocks/flows
9. Monetary asset account- Minerals & energy resources 9. Thematic accounts: species accounts
10. Air emission account 10. Thematic accounts: ocean accounts
11. Physical asset account- Land (cover and use) 11. Thematic accounts: urban accounts
12. Monetary asset account- Land (cover and use) 12. Thematic accounts: protected areas
13. Physical asset account- Timber 13. Integrated accounts
14. Integrated Accounts
37 SEEA Environmental Accounts planned in Canada
Central Framework Accounts Ecosystem Accounts
1. Economy-wide material flow 1. Ecosystem extent accounts
2. Physical supply use table- Water 2. Ecosystem condition accounts
3. Monetary supply use table- Water 3. Ecosystem services supply and use accounts (physical)
4. Physical asset account- Water 4. Ecosystem services supply and use accounts (monetary)
5. Water emission account 5. Ecosystem monetary asset accounts
6. Physical supply use table- Energy 6. Thematic accounts: spatially-explicit land accounts
7. Monetary supply use table- Energy 7. Thematic accounts: spatially-explicit water accounts
8. Physical asset account- Minerals & energy resources 8. Thematic accounts: carbon-related stocks/flows
9. Monetary asset account- Minerals & energy resources 9. Thematic accounts: species accounts
10. Air emission account 10. Thematic accounts: ocean accounts
11. Physical asset account- Land (cover and use) 11. Thematic accounts: urban accounts
12. Monetary asset account- Land (cover and use) 12. Thematic accounts: protected areas
13. Physical asset account- Timber 13. Integrated accounts
14. Integrated Accounts
38 SEEA Self-Pace Training

https://learning.officialstatistics.org /

https://seea.un.org/content/seea-e-learning-resources
39 Suggested next steps:

 A presentation / discussion on the concept of natural capital accounting,
with an emphasis on environmental-economic accounting

 A presentation discussion of the steps required to introduce a national
program of work on environmental-economic accounting

 A discussion with stakeholders (data producers, collaborators, users) about
the needs, the capacity, and data gaps
Integrating environmental data
in a
National Statistical System
International experiences of data consolidation, knowledge building, and information integration

Part 1: Environmental Statistics in the National Statistical Offices

Presentation provided to
The Argentinian National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC)
June 2022

Francois Soulard
Francois.soulard@rogers.com
Twitter: @soulfra