NESP 5.1 Environmental Economic Accounting - Developing & trialling approaches for accounting to ensure respectful inclusion of First Nations knowledges

Principal Investigator

This project aims to address two overarching research questions: how can First Nations Peoples knowledges be reflected within (or alongside) Ecosystem Accounts prepared following the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA)? and what are suitable methods for appropriately gathering and presenting First Nations Peoples’ knowledges in relation to SEEA EA? To achieve the project aim, researchers will partner with two First Nations groups from contrasting contexts and environments (northern QLD savannah and southern WA coast). Together we will trial methods and prepare full sets of SEEA EA compliant accounts for each group. By co-designing methods and accounts presentation, the aim is for the accounts to provide information that is useful for the groups themselves in addition to providing useful information for other research users. Beyond accounts preparation, and incorporating existing Australian literature, the project will develop and test overarching learnings and recommendations that can inform future EA policy development within DCCEEW. Working closely with our First Nations partners, and testing outputs with a small number of First Nations people from other organisations, the project will seek to identify common themes across different First Nations groups, and assess the relevance of, and links between, national accounting information (such as NEAP) and accounts built upon First Nations knowledge and perspectives.

01 Jan 2025 - 30 Jun 2027

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