Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts 2026-2030

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts in India 2026-2030 in October 2026. The strategy aims to strengthen environmental accounting in India by expanding the coverage of natural resources, addressing data gaps and improving the integration of environmental information with economic planning.

Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts 2026-2030

Strategy for Environmental-Economic Accounts in India 2026-2030 is a roadmap prepared by MoSPI to improve the way India measures its natural resources and their relationship with economic activities. It builds on the progress made under the previous strategy for 2022-2026.

The document provides an action-oriented framework for developing environmental accounts, identifying potential data sources, addressing information gaps and setting priorities for the period 2026-2030.

What is Environmental-Economic Accounting?

Environmental-economic accounting is a system of collecting and organising information about the environment and the economy together. It helps measure natural resources, their use in economic activities and changes in the environment over time.

Traditional economic indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), measure economic production but do not fully show the condition of natural resources or the environmental costs associated with economic growth. Environmental-economic accounting helps bridge this gap by connecting environmental data with economic statistics.

Key Components of Environmental-Economic Accounting

• Natural resources: Measures resources such as forests, minerals, land, soil and water.
• Resource use: Tracks how natural resources are used by households, industries and other economic activities.
• Ecosystem services: Examines benefits provided by nature, such as pollination, carbon storage and water regulation.
• Environmental changes: Records changes in the quantity, condition and use of natural resources.
• Economic-environmental linkages: Connects environmental information with economic statistics to support sustainable planning.

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Major Focus Areas Under the Strategy

The Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts 2026-2030 identifies several areas for developing and expanding India’s environmental accounts.

• Forest accounts: Measure forest resources, their condition and their contribution to the economy and ecosystem services.
• Mineral resources: Improve information on mineral resources and their role in economic activities.
• Soil resources: Develop better information on soil resources and their condition to support sustainable land management.
• Land accounts: Track land use and changes in land cover to support planning and resource management.
• Water accounts: Improve information on water resources, their availability and their use across different sectors.
• Carbon stock: Assess carbon stored in natural systems, helping improve understanding of their role in climate change mitigation.
• Biodiversity: Strengthen the measurement of biodiversity and the benefits provided by ecosystems.
• Environment-related activities: Improve accounting for activities associated with environmental protection and resource management.

What is the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA)?

The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) is an internationally agreed framework endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission. It provides standard methods to connect environmental data with economic statistics. India has been developing environmental accounts under this framework since 2018 through MoSPI.

The SEEA Central Framework (SEEA-CF) covers environmental assets, natural resource flows and economic activities related to the environment.

Previous Strategy 2022-2026

The earlier strategy focused on expanding India’s environmental accounts and developing new areas of measurement. Its initiatives included Material Flow Accounts, Ocean Accounts, Energy Accounts and thematic accounts related to biodiversity and urban areas.

The 2026-2030 strategy builds on this progress, with greater emphasis on expanding coverage, addressing data gaps and identifying future priorities.

Importance of the Strategy for India

• Better policymaking: Helps governments consider environmental impacts while planning economic development.
• Sustainable resource management: Supports the conservation and efficient use of forests, water, minerals and land.
• Climate change assessment: Improves information on carbon stored in natural ecosystems.
• Natural capital assessment: Provides a broader understanding of the economic and environmental value of natural resources.
• Improved planning: Helps States and Union Territories develop environmental accounts suited to their regional priorities.
• Sustainable development: Supports a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.

Challenges in Environmental-Economic Accounting

• Data gaps: Environmental information may be incomplete or unavailable for some resources.
• Measurement difficulties: Assessing biodiversity, soil quality and ecosystem services can be complex.
• Different standards: Institutions may use different methods and classifications.
• Valuation challenges: Assigning monetary values to ecosystem services is not always straightforward.
• Limited technical capacity: Environmental accounting requires trained personnel and reliable statistical systems.

Way Forward

• Improve data collection: Strengthen environmental surveys and monitoring systems.
• Standardise methods: Adopt consistent accounting practices across institutions.
• Strengthen coordination: Improve data sharing among central and State government agencies.
• Use technology: Apply remote sensing and geographic information systems for environmental monitoring.
• Integrate accounts into planning: Use environmental data in economic and natural resource management decisions.
• Monitor progress: Review implementation and address data gaps regularly.