WAVES is now part of the broader World Bank umbrella initiative,  the  Global Program for Sustainability (GPS)
 
WAVES/GPS Newsletter, Issue 52, November 2019
A new portal was launched to make sovereign-level environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data more accessible  
Dear colleagues, 

We are excited to announce that Uganda will host the  fourth Forum on Natural Capital Accounting for Better Policy  from 18-19 November 2019 in Kampala, Uganda. The theme for this year's forum is Measuring and Valuing Natural Capital for Improved Landscape Management. During the same week, an Africa Regional NCA Policy Forum will be held to bring together 19 countries to draw a road map  for a regional community of practice on NCA. The Uganda government will be releasing their first set of land accounts that week. We hope to see many of you in Uganda. 

In other significant news, this year saw the conclusion of the WAVES program in Guatemala and phase one of the work in  Indonesia with high-profile events attended by ministers and release of several accounts done in partnership with WAVES. 

This is a critical time for biodiversity as the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity will be in 2020 where the world will agree on a new biodiversity framework. With the objective of putting biodiversity on the agenda of decision makers beyond Ministries of Environment, the World Bank organized an event,  Investing in Nature , during the World bank-IMF Annual Meetings in October 2019.  
 
In work related to the financial sector under the Global Program for Sustainability (GPS)the  Sovereign ESG Data Portal was launched. The portal is  a free, open and easy to use online platform that aims to make sovereign-level environmental, social and governance (ESG) data from the World Bank more accessible and transparent. 

You can watch a video here, shot in Mabamba wetlands, Uganda, showing the importance of measuring and valuing services provided by an ecosystem.  

The WAVES Team
Our News 

A free, open and easy to use online platform that provides sovereign-level environmental, social and governance (ESG) data. 
WAVES provided data that could be used for systems dynamic modelling vital to the Low Carbon Growth Initiative for Indonesia. 
An event on biodiversity, Investing in Nature, was organized during the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in October 2019. 
Indonesia launched several reports at an event to mark the completion of the first phase of the WAVES program.
Guatemala held an event at Rafael Landívar University to mark the conclusion of their work with WAVES
The 2019 NCA Policy Forum is taking place from 18-19 November, 2019 in Kampala, Uganda.
Video
The wealth of a wetland: It matters when you measure it
A video on Mabamba wetland in Uganda to show the value of measuring and valuing the services that an ecosystem like a wetland provides to the people and the economy. 
 
  WATCH
WAVES Voices

"Ambitious biodiversity action is not just about ambition in targets. It is about opening the doors for other sectors - transport, agriculture, cities, energy, finance - to have a seat at the table, value their natural capital and protect our collective wealth "  
 
 
- Inger Andersen, Executive Director at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
New in the Knowledge Center
News from our Partners

Sir Bob Watson, former chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) talk about mainstreaming biodiversity, the IPBES global assessment, next year's biodiversity COP in Kunming, China, and more

The SEEA is now also part of indicator 12.b.1, under custodian of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This was agreed to at the tenth meeting of the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs). 
Natural Capital Accounting in the News
Upcoming Events
Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (NCAVES) project funded by the European Union
November 12-14, 2019
Beijing, China
University of New South Wales, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, supported by the World Bank Blue Economy Program
November 12-15, 2019
Sydney, Australia






The Eurostat Working Group on Forestry Statistics and Accounts
November 13-14, 2019
Luxembourg city, Luxembourg

The World Bank, United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the Government of Netherlands, and the Government of Uganda
November 18-19, 2019
Kampala, Uganda






This n ewsletter  is published by the WAVES/GPS Communications Team. We welcome your submissions of news, events and publications at wavespartnership@worldbank.org