Lunch seminar PBL Netherland Environmental Assessment Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

During this lunch seminar Edwin Itshekeng from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in Botswana and Irene Alvarado Quesada from the Central Bank of Costa Rica will present how data driven policy-making helps their countries to improve policies to reach their Sustainable Development Goals and to include the SDGs in national development plans. Next to the examples from Botswana and Costa Rica, Bram Edens (UNSD), Arjan Ruijs (PBL) and Hugo von Meijenfeldt (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) reflect on how their lessons can help the SDG process in other countries as well as in the Netherlands. Botswana and Costa Rica provide great examples, showing how Natural Capital Accounting is used for supporting the SDG policy process and for helping to improve their natural resources policies such that they bring forward SDGs related to for example water access, agricultural production, inequality and forest management.

Background

Many countries are working on the 2030 Agenda. For translating the global ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals into long term visions with integrated policy agendas, countries must have an understanding of the interdependencies between the economy, the environment and society. Natural capital accounting (NCA) is a tool that potentially helps to obtain this understanding.

Over the last years, we have observed numerous advances in the implementation of NCA. Through the World Bank WAVES Global Partnership and the UN Statistics Division supported programme on ‘natural capital accounting and valuation of ecosystem services – both supported by the Netherlands – the World Bank and United Nations have been very active in the promotion of sustainable development by ensuring that natural resources are mainstreamed in development planning and national economic accounts. In addition to traditional economic measures, such as GDP, NCA should better inform economic decisions, and eventually lead to greener economies.

Speakers/discussiants

• Carola van Rijnsoever, Director IGG
• Sofia Ahlroth – WAVES Partnership, World Bank
• Edwin Itshekeng - Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Botswana
• Irene Alvarado Quesada  - Central Bank, Costa Rica
• Bram Edens – UN Statistics Division
• Arjan Ruijs – PBL
• Hugo von Meijenfelt – Ministry of Foreign Affairs