On 13 July 2021 OSPAR is going to hold a special natural capital accounting (NCA) meeting, which will take place in an entirely online environment. In March 2021 the United Nations adopted the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA), or natural capital accounting. In accordance to this, OSPAR has organised this event in order to introduce the indepth concept of NCA.

Protecting and conserving the North-East Atlantic and its resources, OSPAR Commission is a mechanism by which 15 governments and the European Union cooperate to protect the environment. The commission has been named after the Oslo and Paris Conventions and has been founded in 1972.

During the online meeting, the participants will be presented with the opportunity to learn more about what natural capital accounting is, see some practical applications of this new instrument from all across the globe, see a first version of natural capital accounts for the OSPAR region and beyond, discuss the potential role of this instrument and the next steps that need to be taken.

The special meeting will be attended by various organisations, including MAIA, where each one will discuss the concept of NCA, the global perspective to adopting ocean accounts towards the SEEA framework, the use of NCA in decision making and many more. Additionally, the meeting will be followed by a break-out session, where all participating parties will discuss the further steps towards the implementation of natural capital accounting.