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Natural Capital Accounts as a Source of Information to Support Sustainable Development Goals

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  • Alessandra La Notte

Abstract

Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) is pivotal for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by quantifying Ecosystem Services (ES) and integrating them into Economic Models. The NCA employs different methodologies to support the three themes that compose SDG layers: biosphere, society, and economy. In the context of the biosphere layer, the NCA provides a comprehensive set of descriptive statistics pertaining to the ES. In the context of the society layer, the adoption of sustainability indicators derived from ES accounts quantifies the extent to which ecosystem contributions impact social well‐being. In the context of economic modeling, ES accounts provide the input data required for the construction of models such as general equilibrium models and multi‐regional input–output analysis. The applications reported in this study demonstrate concretely how accounts can support SDGs both in terms of providing data and of enhancing their analytical capacity. However, challenges persist in the standardization of metrics and the coverage of SDG targets that remain unmeasured.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandra La Notte, 2026. "Natural Capital Accounts as a Source of Information to Support Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(S1), pages 1128-1143, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s1:p:1128-1143
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.70229
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. de Groot, Rudolf S. & Wilson, Matthew A. & Boumans, Roelof M. J., 2002. "A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 393-408, June.
    2. Cerilli, Silvia & La Notte, Alessandra & Pisani, Domenico & Vallecillo, Sara & Tubiello, Francesco Nicola, 2020. "A sustainability scoreboard for crop provision in Europe," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    3. La Notte, Alessandra & Marques, Alexandra & Petracco, Marco & Paracchini, Maria Luisa & Zurbaran-Nucci, Mayra & Grammatikopoulou, Ioanna & Tamborra, Marialuisa, 2025. "The assessment of nature-related risks: From ecosystem services vulnerability to economic exposure and financial disclosures," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
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