Normyle, Anna, Jarvis, Diane, Woodward, Emma, Grainger, Daniel, Ewamian Ltd, Ewamian People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Nyamba Buru Yawuru, Tagalaka Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Matthews, Dean, Melbourne, Julie, Doran, Bruce, and Vardon, Michael (2025) Recognizing First Nations' values in natural capital accounting benefits all. Communications Earth & Environment, 7. 2.

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Abstract

First Nations’ values are frequently overlooked in public and private sector decision-making. Natural Capital Accounting is increasingly promoted for decision-making but overlooks First Nations’ values, limiting its potential. Here, we present three Australian case studies highlighting the approaches, challenges, and progress made towards integrating First Nations’ values into accounting, aiming to distil lessons and help realize accounting’s potential to achieve transformative change in how decisions affecting First Nations people are made globally. We conclude that collaboration, respecting data sovereignty, and prioritizing First Nations’ voices are needed for comprehensive accounting. We recommend establishing an international working group under the auspices of the United Nations to include recognition of these values in accounting and how this recognition can inform decision-making. Recognizing First Nations’ values in Natural Capital Accounting benefits all by making these values visible and providing First Nations people, literally and figuratively, a “seat at the table” in the decisions affecting them.

Item ID:	90220
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2662-4435
Keywords:	SEEA EA; First Nations; Environmental Accounting; Natural Capital Accounting
Related URLs:	Publisher
Copyright Information:	This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
Funders:	Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW)
Projects and Grants:	DCCEEW Environmental Economic Accounting: A Common National Approach Strategy and Action Plan
Date Deposited:	21 Apr 2026 00:19
FoR Codes:	38 ECONOMICS > 3801 Applied economics > 380105 Environment and resource economics @ 50% 38 ECONOMICS > 3899 Other economics > 389902 Ecological economics @ 50%
SEO Codes:	15 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 1599 Other economic framework > 159902 Ecological economics @ 45% 21 INDIGENOUS > 2104 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture > 210402 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to land and environment @ 45% 19 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL HAZARDS > 1902 Environmental policy, legislation and standards > 190205 Environmental protection frameworks (incl. economic incentives) @ 10%
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