Identifying the institutional modalities for commencing Environmental-Economic Accounting for the ocean

Abstract

Ocean Accounting (OA) is an emergent framework to collate environmental, economic, and social data in a standardised manner, aligned with existing international statistical accounting standards. This involves the recording of the interactions between the ocean and the economy, considering both the contributions of the ocean to economic activities and the impacts of human activities on the ocean. The OA framework offers a multidisciplinary approach to deriving statistics and indicators that consider the ocean’s contribution to society and the economy. As implementation of OA increases globally, there is a need to understand the modalities in which governments commence activities, including potential impacts to the use and maintenance of accounts into the future. Here, we conduct a global review of countries that have commenced OA activities and define the modes of implementation across 24 identified countries. Two modes were identified, (i) government-led (13 countries) and (ii) externally led (i.e., non-government institutions, 11 countries). To determine the strategic and operational implications associated with each mode, the study performed a Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) analysis via expert elicitation. The SWOT analysis of government-led implementation identified strengths in centralised coordination and alignment with policies, but weaknesses included limited expertise and resources. External institutions (e.g., universities or consultants), despite offering diverse expertise and cost-effectiveness, face challenges such as legitimacy issues and misalignment with government policies, posing risks to program sustainability. As OA activities progress, countries may transition from externally led implementation to government-led projects. Understanding each mode's implications offers important insights for countries considering future implementation of OA.