Testing ecosystem accounting in northern China – a case study of SEEA EA in Liaoning Province

The establishment of ecosystem accounts helps to promote and practice sustainable development. In China, the establishment of ecosystem accounts based on the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting–Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) facilitates government decision-making regarding the ecological transformation of economic and social development. There have been attempts to develop ecosystem accounts in some southern Chinese provinces and cities, but little has been done to develop an ecosystem account for northern China. This study examined the potential and challenges of constructing ecosystem accounts in methods and policies in northern China and promoted the practice of EA accounts by constructing ecosystem extent, condition, ecosystem services supply and use accounts, and biodiversity accounts in Liaoning Province. The testing accounts cover provisioning, water supply, air filtration, water purification, global climate regulation (carbon storage), soil erosion management, and recreation services in 2019. The results show that due to the difference in climate between northern and southern China, there is no accounting for temperature regulation and flood regulation services, but water supply services are considered; Policy, demographic, and socioeconomic factors affect the extent and condition of ecosystems. This study illustrates how ecosystem accounts can contribute to policy and decision-making, foster sustainable development, and inform the application of ecosystem accounts in northern China and other countries and regions. In this paper, we identify difficulties, including data availability and quality, that limit the integration of ecosystem accounting into policy. Future research is suggested to address these gaps and facilitate the implementation of ecosystem accounting.