Structure: The webinar will begin with an overview of oceans accounts in a global context by Dr Ben Milligan and lead into a presentation by Prof Ken Findlay with a more detailed breakdown of oceans accounts, their development and their use in integrating ocean data from environmental, social and economic domains and the potential opportunities in the increasing advancement of African ocean economies.

Date and time: 30 July 2020 at 1PM CET/2PM East African Time

Video recording of the weninar

Chair: World Bank, tbc.

Speakers:

• Dr. Ben Milligan, Executive Secretary, Global Oceans Accounts Partnership

Dr. Ben Milligan is the Executive Secretary of the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership, Scientia Fellow based at the Environmental Law Cluster, Centre for Applied Economic Research, and Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of New South Wales, and co-lead of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy Blue Paper on Ocean Accounting.

• Prof. Ken Findlay, CPUT Research Chair, Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Centre for Sustainable Oceans 

Prof Ken Findlay is the CPUT Research Chair at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Centre for Sustainable Oceans.

Description:

Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface, are the planet's largest biosphere, and are home to 50–80% of all life on Earth. Oceans make major contributions, many irreplaceable, to human well-being and development. For example, more than 90% of global trade in goods and 95% of internet traffic travel by sea. In Africa, 38 countries have a coastline and many economies depend heavily on marine resources. The true value of ocean ecosystems, however, are often not adequately measured.

To address this issue, oceans accounts – a structured compilation of maps, statistics, and indicators, aligned with the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounts – are being developed by a growing number of countries. Ocean accounts provide a framework for ocean data integration by organising relevant data (from the environmental, social and economic domains) into structures that are similar to national accounts maintained by National Statistical Offices or Finance Ministries. They provide the means to account for growth, sustainability and inclusivity of ocean economies in line with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. At the global level, momentum on developing a shared technical framework for ocean accounting is supported by the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership.

The webinar will provide an introduction to oceans accounts and the potential opportunities in the increasing advancement of African ocean economies. It will also serve to introduce the Oceans Accounting Working Group, which will run under the Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice from August to December 2020. This webinar is part of a series under the Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice.