Explore the vast range of titles available.

Ecosystem accounting has been advocated as a potential ‘game changer’ for managing the environment and economy and was recently standardised by the United Nations (UN) in the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA). However, Indigenous Peoples, their lands, values, and knowledge have not been explicitly included in the SEEA-EA. With more than 40% of global land under some form of Indigenous management or tenure, this omission must be addressed if Indigenous Peoples are to use the SEEA-EA; and if the values and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples are to be reflected in broader environmental and economic management and policy. We outline how Indigenous perspectives differ from those currently recognised in SEEA-EA. A key difference is that Indigenous Peoples view themselves as part of ecosystems rather than distinct from them, and this relationship is two-way, not one-way, as presented in the SEEA-EA. Reconciling these perspectives is possible but will require collaborative engagement with Indigenous Peoples guided by the principles of free, prior, and informed consent. To achieve a reconciliation, we call for two actions: (1) including recognition of Indigenous values as a new item on the SEEA-EA research agenda, and; (2) that Indigenous Peoples be part of the UN processes governing the development of the SEEA-EA.

First Nations’ values are frequently overlooked in public and private sector decision-making. Natural Capital Accounting is increasingly promoted for decision-making but overlooks First Nations’ values, limiting its potential. Here, we present three Australian case studies highlighting the approaches, challenges, and progress made towards integrating First Nations’ values into accounting, aiming to distil lessons and help realize accounting’s potential to achieve transformative change in how decisions affecting First Nations people are made globally. We conclude that collaboration, respecting data sovereignty, and prioritizing First Nations’ voices are needed for comprehensive accounting. We recommend establishing an international working group under the auspices of the United Nations to include recognition of these values in accounting and how this recognition can inform decision-making. Recognizing First Nations’ values in Natural Capital Accounting benefits all by making these values visible and providing First Nations people, literally and figuratively, a “seat at the table” in the decisions affecting them. Including First Nations’ cultural and ecological values in natural capital accounting by engaging with land and sea managers helps bridge the gap between Indigenous and Western knowledge and enables inclusive decision making, as discussed through three Australian case studies in this Perspective.

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasise the need to include Indigenous values in the management of cultural, environmental and economic resources. Ensuring this recognition requires the assessment of existing frameworks for monitoring and reporting to determine whether they are sufficiently broad to encompass Indigenous people, their perspectives, and knowledge. Indigenous people are absent from the ongoing development of the UN international standard for Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). As a framework that promises to better integrate environmental and economic information for sustainable development, this omission must be addressed if NCA is to be of relevance to, and used by, Indigenous people. Using conceptual and practical examples, this thesis investigates: (1) how the SEEA differs from, and can be adapted to, Indigenous values and knowledge; (2) how NCA and the SEEA can be used by Indigenous people and their organisations for the management of land and sea; (3) the opportunities, challenges and key considerations for incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the SEEA; and (4) the actions required to ensure Indigenous values are reflected in the ongoing development of NCA and the SEEA. It finds that Indigenous people's perspectives on nature differ from those currently recognised in the SEEA, as Indigenous people often view themselves as part of ecosystems rather than distinct from them, and this relationship is two-way, not one-way as presented in the SEEA conceptual model. Practical examples of account development from a collaborative case study with Yawuru managers of land and sea in northern Australia show how accounts informed by Indigenous knowledge can record changes to ecosystem extent, condition and values over time in a manner that better reflects the interconnected relationships between People, culture and Country. The thesis identifies the benefits of incorporating Indigenous values into NCA, including making a broader range of interests and values visible and therefore considered in decision-making, and improving the 'seat at the table' for Indigenous managers in negotiations that impact their land. Ultimately, such information benefits all stakeholders by providing the data needed to identify win-win opportunities while managing conflicts across various spatial scales. Actionable recommendations are proposed for local, national, and international stakeholders to raise Indigenous voices in NCA development through collaborative, Indigenous-led partnerships, developing national protocols for Indigenous-inclusive accounting, and establishing an international working group to guide the recognition of Indigenous values in the SEEA framework. As a first example of the development of SEEA-based accounts in collaboration with Indigenous managers of land and sea, this thesis offers globally relevant insights into the approaches, challenges, and actions needed to ensure that future NCA frameworks are inclusive and equitable for all.

The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) is widely promoted in environmental and economic policy and management. Unfortunately, the SEEA-EA has not substantively addressed the aspects of accounting that may be of interest to, or used by, Indigenous peoples. We investigate an Indigenous perspective on the potential of the SEEA-EA to support cultural and environmental management through collaborative workshops with managers of Nyamba Buru Yawuru, the Prescribed Body Corporate representing the Yawuru Traditional Owners in Western Australia. Our discussions highlight that while the SEEA-EA may be a valuable tool for empowering Indigenous people and supporting the management of their lands and seas, there are areas where the SEEA-EA needs to be broadened to better reflect cultural values, and the services to ecosystems provided by Indigenous peoples. Embedding Indigenous perspectives into the SEEA-EA would mean that it is of greater use to Indigenous peoples and their representative organisations and ensure that these values are better recognised in the policymaking of government.