Sub-Regional Training Workshop
on Climate Change Statistics and Indicators

Concept note and provisional agenda

Annex 2: Concept Note
Sub-Regional Training Workshop on Climate Change Statistics and Indicators
Document number — p. 2

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BACKGROUND

In the Pacific region, climate change is one of the most pressing policy issues given its wideranging impacts on well-being. At the Fifty-first Pacific Islands Forum in 2022, Pacific Island
leaders emphasized climate change as an existential threat to the wellbeing, livelihoods,and security of the Pacific, resonating with the Boe Declaration (2018) and the Kainaki II
Declaration (2019). Consequently, they declared a climate emergency. The region is alreadyexperiencing intensifying threats like rising sea levels, increasing ocean acidification, andescalating extreme weather events, profoundly impacting the region's economy, society,and environment. The urgency for scaled-up and cross-sectoral climate action is evident. To
effectively address climate change, the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) needto implement the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the Framework for
Resilient Development in the Pacific and swiftly act on their national climate agendas incollaboration with regional entities such as agencies of the Council of Regional
Organizations of the Pacific, including the Pacific Community (SPC), and the internationaldevelopment community. Reliable and actionable statistics and indicators on climatechange impacts are vital to enable evidence-based policy, decision-making, planning andinvestment. Importantly, these statistics and indicators must be able to speak to theeconomic, social and environmental impacts of climate change.
National statistical offices (NSOs) of countries in the region are well placed to support
evidence-based policies aimed at managing the economic and environmental impacts andvulnerabilities due to climate change. At the same time, there is a need to strengthen thecapacities of NSOs and national statistical systems more broadly to produce anddisseminate climate change related statistics, accounts, and indicators to better meet userneeds. The international statistical standard for compiling information on climate change
and the economy is the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA).
The SEEA is comprised of two complimentary international statistical standards: the SEEA
Central Framework (SEEA CF) and the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). The SEEA CF
takes a resource-based approach to measuring the supply and use of environmental
resources and availability of environmental assets. The SEEA EA takes a more holistic
approach in providing a spatially explicit approach to compiling accounts on ecosystems andthe services they provide. The SEEA can be flexibly implemented by countries prioritizing
accounts based on availability of information and policy priorities. The accounts aredesigned to respond to data needs for multiple policy initiatives including global initiatives
on sustainable development and on mitigating and adapting to climate change.

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Annex 2: Concept Note
Sub-Regional Training Workshop on Climate Change Statistics and Indicators
Document number — p. 3

In addition, the SPC has developed a Natural Disasters and Climate Change Survey Module,
which was launched in 2023 as a standard methodology to regularly collect data
representing the socio-economic picture of climate change impact on individuals,
households and communities. The main objective is to encourage the production and useof socio-economic information on the impacts of climate change and natural disasters onPICT households.
The workshop, organized by the SPC and the UN Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific(UNSIAP) aims to further build capacities in the region for the compilation of statistics,accounts and indicators relevant to climate change. The workshop will focus on both theSEEA and the Climate Change and Natural Disasters Survey Module. In particular, theworkshop will cover land, water and ecosystem accounts which support the compilation ofindicators relevant to climate change impacts and vulnerabilities. These accounts also
contain information related to losses and damages due to climate change which are areasof high interest in the Pacific.

2OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the training programme are to:a) increase participants’ knowledge of the purpose and implementation of SEEA,
including land, water and ecosystem accounts, with an aim towards producing highquality statistics, accounts and indicators;b) help participants acquire skills and understanding to implement the Natural
Disasters and Climate Change survey module in their country;c) facilitate experience sharing among Pacific countries; andd) support countries to set up a strategy and work plan for the implementation andfurther development of climate change and environmental statistics.

3LANGUAGE

The course will be offered in English.

4TARGET PARTICIPANTS

Target participants are technical staff of NSOs and ministries of environment that:
1) have experience in using climate change statistics and indicators or2) are responsible for the production of climate change statistics and indicators.

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Annex 2: Concept Note
Sub-Regional Training Workshop on Climate Change Statistics and Indicators
Document number — p. 45ORGANIZATION

During the workshop, participants will discuss technical issues related to the compilationof land, water and ecosystem accounts and other SEEA accounts closely related to climatechange; they will also learn about good practices in dissemination.
The workshop will consist of lectures, practical exercises and the sharing of experiencesamong countries through presentations and breakout group discussions.

6CONTACT PERSONS

Sokol Vako
Statistician
United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the PacificChiba, Japan
E-mail: vako@un.org
Lisa Green
Statistics Adviser
Statistics for Development Division,
Pacific Community
Noumea, New CaledoniaLisag@spc.int

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Annex 2: Concept Note
Sub-Regional Training Workshop on Climate Change Statistics and Indicators
Document number — p. 5

PROVISIONAL AGENDA
Day 1
 Opening remarks and ice breaker Climate change and environmental policies and data needs / priorities in thePacific Current environmental statistics production and needs in Pacific countries
 Climate change statisticso Mitigationo Adaptationo Loss and Damages
 SDG indicators relating to climate change and environment
Day 2
 Natural Disaster and Climate Change Household Survey Module and Sourcebook
 Connection of environment data with other themes (gender, economics, etc)
Day 3
 Introduction to SEEA Central Framework Land accounts
 Water asset accounts, and physical supply and use tables
Day 4
 Ecosystem extent accounts
 Ecosystem condition accounts
 Ecosystem service accounts
Day 5
 Brief cover of other SEEA accounts (eg Waste accounts, Energy accounts, GHGaccounts)
 Good practices in dissemination
 Where do we go from here?

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