Biodiversity and sustainable real estate news
International research in ecological accounting is opening a crucial path: linking economic flows to natural flows. Zhou, Ou, and Li (2016) laid the foundations for this new discipline, which goes beyond simple environmental accounting to integrate ecosystem logic into human cost balances. This approach foreshadows the transformation initiated by IRICE: turning the measurement of ecological performance into a concrete tool for decision-making and sustainable management.
Introduction
The environmental transition necessitates a new economic framework: one that connects the flows of matter, energy, and value. The scientific article by Zhou, Ou, and Li (2016) proposes a clear conceptual framework: moving from environmental accounting (focused on impacts) to ecological accounting (focused on the interactions between economic and ecosystemic systems). This evolution foreshadows the measurement methods that IRICE now employs in its Effinature and BPS frameworks.
1. Distinguish between resource, environment, and ecology
The authors point out that resources (raw materials), the environment (living conditions), and ecology (living systems) do not fall under the same level of analysis. While environmental accounting measures pollution, ecological accounting measures functional sustainability: the capacity of a territory or project to maintain its ecosystem services.
2. From cost to ecological value
The proposed approach distinguishes four pillars:
- Accounting for ecological assets (soil, forests, green corridors, water);
- Evaluate the ecological costs and benefits (efficiency, resilience, well-being);
- Optimize planning decisions according to ecological performance;
- Controlling the consistency between economic performance and the regeneration of living organisms. This structure announces what the authors call a “measurable eco-efficiency” — a logic that the BPS (Biodiversity Performance Score) now puts into practice.
3. Direct link with international standardization
The UN System of Environmental and Social Accounting (SEEA) framework cited in the study establishes the concept of a biodiversity satellite account. It links national economic indicators to natural resource flows and allows for the adjustment of growth indices based on ecological gain or loss. This is precisely the approach advocated by IRICE: integrating biodiversity into the actual accounting of projects and territories.
4. From theory to practice
IRICE's current applications extend this vision:
- The Effinature standards translate the ecological assessment into verifiable ratings;
- The BPS establishes an objective metric for the performance of living organisms;
- The Scope Impact project will extend this principle to international standards.
Useful conclusion
Ecological accounting transforms performance measurement: it no longer values only what is produced, but also what is preserved. Zhou and Li outlined a framework; IRICE is now deploying its operational reality.
Zhou et al., 2016 – Ecological Accounting: A Research Review and Conceptual Framework.
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