Natural capital and strategies for a Green Economy

The policy brief advocates for a 'capitals approach' to economic planning, moving beyond GDP to account for natural, human, social, and produced capital. It highlights the role of natural capital in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and limiting global temperature rises to below 1.5 degrees. The document identifies several gaps in current strategies, recommending the creation of coordinated Green Economy action plans, stronger green industrial policies, and the establishment of Natural Capital Committees reporting to Finance Ministries. It also emphasizes the importance of the Natural Capital Protocol for businesses to measure their dependencies on nature and calls for new valuation strategies for freshwater resources to combat increasing water stress.

• A 'capitals approach' to wealth accounting, supported by the UN and World Bank, seeks to move 'beyond GDP' by categorizing a country's wealth into financial capital, natural capital and ecosystem services, produced capital, and human and social capital.
• While some countries like Australia, Costa Rica, Netherlands, New Zealand, Uganda, and the UK are leading in natural capital accounting, the approach is not yet fully integrated into national accounts or finance ministries globally.
• The Natural Capital Protocol, launched in 2016 by the Natural Capital Coalition, provides a framework for businesses to identify and value their direct and indirect impacts and dependencies on natural capital.
• The document proposes six specific strategic interventions to advance the green economy: coordinated action plans, green industrial policy, mainstreaming wealth accounts (such as the UN SEEA), establishing Natural Capital Committees reporting to Finance Ministries, promoting the Natural Capital Protocol in the private sector, and implementing new valuation and management strategies for freshwater resources.

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} }