Context and overall objectives
In this project, co-financed with Eurostat 2023 grants on Environmental accounts, ecosystem accounting, waste statistics and European Green Deal, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) and Statistics Finland address three objectives of the call. First, in work package 1 (WP2) we compile ecosystem accounts for nature-based tourism and recreation and design a production process model for ecosystem accounts, second, in work package 3 (WP3) we provide accounts on international e-commerce packaging materials, and third, we produce national estimates of Finland’s material footprint and raw material equivalents of import and export.
The first main objective of ecosystem accounting is to compile proposed mandatory physical supply and use accounts for nature-based tourism in Finland and voluntary accounts on nature-based daily recreation. The accounts are compiled using tools, methods and guidelines made available or supported by EUROSTAT and SEEA EA. This is done to test the fitness of the tools and methods for ecosystem accounting, and to suggest improvements to them. The second main objective of ecosystem accounting is to prepare a GSBPM data production process model aiming at fulfilling the requirements of upcoming amendments to the regulation on European environmental economic accounts regarding ecosystem accounts.
The first main objectives of the work related to Plastic Packaging Materials and Material Footprint of Finland are to compile accounts on plastic and other packaging materials entering Finland via international e-commerce and to describe the method that was used to compile these accounts from a dataset provided by a commercial logistics operator. With respect to material flows and footprints the objectives are to use environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) model ENVIMAT to produce national estimate of Finland’s material footprint (RMC indicator) and to produce raw material equivalents of import and export to/from Finland in the Eurostat Economy-wide Material Flow accounts questionnaire.
Work performed
In WP2, methods and tools for compiling nature-based tourism and recreation supply and use accounts in physical and/or monetary terms were developed and tested. Specifically, the QGIS INCA tool and the Simulated Exchange Value (SEV) method were applied. The applicability of travel cost data and models, which had not previously been used for compiling recreational ecosystem service accounts, was tested, including for marine recreation. The QGIS INCA tool was used to compile ecosystem service accounts for nature-based tourism in Finland by applying national datasets and methods. The results were compared with accounts compiled using generic EU-wide approaches and datasets. The SEV method was further developed to simulate a market for recreational ecosystem services—specifically swimming visits—and to quantify and value these visits under different market assumptions and environmental conditions. Further, WP2 included the development of guidelines and a production process for ecosystem accounts for Finland, following the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM), with the objective of identifying opportunities and risks related to the data production process. Two expert workshops were organized to support the development of the production process.
The tasks on WP3 focused on improving the understanding and reporting of packaging waste from international e-commerce and refining the estimation of Finland’s Raw Material Consumption (RMC). Within WP3, two key components were addressed:
WP3.1. explored the volume of packaging introduced to the Finnish market through international e-commerce, which are not fully captured in current producer responsibility statistics. Different data sources were examined, combined and compared to enhance and refine the assessment of these packaging entering the Finnish waste stream. The data sources included i) the national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, ii) business statistics by Statistics Finland, iii) Finnish Trade Federation, iv) a relevant logistics company (Posti) and v) Custom’s microdata on imports and exports in the field of e-commerce. WP3.2. focused on developing national RMC estimation procedure within the Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EE-IO) framework. The task delivered a nationally calibrated and transparent estimate of Finnish RMC in 2019, providing a more robust alternative to harmonized Eurostat models that may not reflect country-specific conditions. In addition, a comparative analysis of 5 different estimate and model specifications (including Eurostat estimates) was included to explore possible sources of limitations, biases and uncertainties related to RMC calculation.
Results and impacts
The developed methods, pilot results, compiled accounts, and the production process contribute significantly to the advancement of ecosystem accounting methodologies, particularly in light of amendments to the EU Regulation on European environmental economic accounts.
The results of WP2 emphasize the importance of using national datasets and considering the national institutional context when compiling ecosystem accounts or developing a production process. Relying solely on generic EU-wide methods and datasets may lead to biased, inaccurate, or misleading ecosystem service accounts. Therefore, it is recommended to prioritize national datasets and institutional contexts while ensuring compatibility with the EU Regulation's national reporting requirements. Furthermore, the marine environment and inland water bodies should not be neglected in ecosystem accounts, as they provide significant services essential for informed policy-making and sustainable resource management.The development of methods and results in WP2 will support both national and EU-wide efforts to compile ecosystem accounts aligned with the amended EU Regulation.
According to the results of WP3.1, no single data source can provide unambiguous answer to the question on the amount of packaging arriving to Finland through international e-commerce, but comparing and combining data helps address the inherently challenging data requirement. The project laid the groundwork for developing a more accurate, consistent, and policy-relevant methodology to meet Finland’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) reporting obligations under EU legislation. The work identified key data gaps and outlined potential data sources and methodological improvements that can be leveraged in future research. In turn, WP3.2. resulted in an enhanced RMC estimation for Finnish economy, which deepened the understanding of Finland’s consumption-based material requirements. The results also highlight the need to develop more transparent and consistent RME estimation methodologies across EU-member states. Insights from comparative analysis of different model specifications revealed that Finnish per capita RMC remains one of the highest in Europe, but due to lack of standardization, meaningful cross-country comparisons remain a challenge. Efforts to harmonize RMC estimation at the EU level and address the quality of input data are essential to enhance accuracy and obtain more meaningful comparisons of countries’ material basis and efficiency.