Policy brief: Arctic Freshwater Capital in the Nordic Countries : Natural Capital Accounting

• Main Authors: Oinonen, Soile, Salminen, Jani, Pohjola, Johanna, Lehtoranta, Virpi, Mattsson, Tuija, Väisänen, Sari, Dodd, Luke
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Copenhagen 2019
• Subjects: Environmental Management; Miljöledning; Arctic
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:norden:org:diva-5448; https://doi.org/10.6027/Nord2019-004

Current indicators of economic growth (e.g., GDP) do not adequately consider sustainability, while environmental indicators alone fail to acknowledge the economic needs of a society. Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) can be the tool that fills the gap separating current economic and environmental indicators but development and adoption remains uneven across the Nordic region. This policy brief provides background on NCA and its associated accounting frameworks, demonstrates the applicability of NCA for sustainably utilizing freshwater resources in the Nordic Arctic and provides recommendations for maximizing the value of environmental accounting as an economic, environmental, and sustainable development tool.