Natural capital and strategies for a Green Economy

This policy brief by the Green Economy Coalition argues for the integration of natural capital approaches into national economic strategies to achieve a green economy. It advocates for moving 'beyond GDP' to a 'capitals approach' that recognizes the interdependence of natural, financial, produced, human, and social capital to better inform decision-making and meet international climate and development goals.

• The document advocates for a 'capitals approach' to economic management, moving beyond GDP to account for a country's true wealth. This wealth is defined as the collective value of financial capital (economic wealth and income), natural capital and ecosystem services (natural resources), produced capital (material goods and infrastructure), and human and social capital (skilled workforce and societal networks), plus net foreign assets.
• While natural capital is not yet fully integrated into national accounts or finance ministries, several countries are leading the implementation of natural capital accounts, with a global target of 100 countries doing so by 2020. These countries include Australia, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Uganda, and the UK.
• The Natural Capital Protocol, launched in 2016 by the Natural Capital Coalition, provides a harmonized international framework for businesses to identify, measure, and value their dependencies and impacts on natural capital to improve corporate decision-making.
• The brief identifies six priority strategies to advance the green economy: creating coordinated national action plans to align international commitments like the Paris Agreement and SDGs; implementing green industrial policies to support sustainable innovators; mainstreaming wealth accounts using tools like the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA); establishing Natural Capital Committees reporting to Finance Ministries; promoting the Natural Capital Protocol in the private sector; and developing new valuation and management strategies for freshwater resources to prevent 'day zeros'.

APA

Green Economy Coalition (n.d.). Natural capital and strategies for a Green Economy. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Cape-Town-Global-Meet-2019/PAGE-GEC-Nat-cap-GE-strat-policy-briefing_final.pdf

Chicago

Green Economy Coalition. Natural capital and strategies for a Green Economy. n.d. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Cape-Town-Global-Meet-2019/PAGE-GEC-Nat-cap-GE-strat-policy-briefing_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Economy Coalition |title=Natural capital and strategies for a Green Economy |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Cape-Town-Global-Meet-2019/PAGE-GEC-Nat-cap-GE-strat-policy-briefing_final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneconomycoalitionndnatural, author = {{Green Economy Coalition}}, title = {{Natural capital and strategies for a Green Economy}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Cape-Town-Global-Meet-2019/PAGE-GEC-Nat-cap-GE-strat-policy-briefing_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }