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Environmental–Economic Accounting: Progress and Digression in the SEEA Revisions
Author(s) -
Bartelmus Peter
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
review of income and wealth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.024
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1475-4991
pISSN - 0034-6586
DOI - 10.1111/roiw.12056
Subject(s) - national accounts , sustainable development , economics , accounting , environmental accounting , business , political science , law
The 1992 E arth S ummit and its message of sustainable development drove the launching of a S ystem for integrated E nvironmental and E conomic A ccounting, the SEEA . Since then, sustainable development and the SEEA have given way to green growth and green economy indicators in the latest 2012 S ummit. A lengthy revision process has now produced a curtailed “ SEEA central framework.” The new framework focuses on expenditures for environmental protection and resource management, and stocks and flows of “economic” resources; both are covered by the conventional national accounts. Environmental degradation, notably from pollution, is left to “experimental” ecosystem accounts. Further revision of the SEEA should reverse this retrenchment from integrative environmental–economic accounting. A comprehensive satellite system, rather than a limited statistical standard, might put the SEEA back on the policy agenda.