外文原文：环境会计Word文档格式.doc

外文原文：环境会计Word文档格式.doc

《外文原文：环境会计Word文档格式.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《外文原文：环境会计Word文档格式.doc（6页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

EnvironmentalAccounting@#@WhereWeAreNow,WhereWeAreHeading@#@ByJoyE.Hecht@#@Interestisgrowinginmodifyingnationalincomeaccountingsystemstopromoteunderstandingofthelinksbetweeneconomyandenvironment.@#@Thefieldofenvironmentalaccountinghasmadegreatstridesinthepasttwodecades,movingfromaratherarcaneendeavortoonetestedindozensofcountriesandwellestablishedinafew.Buttheideathatnationsmightintegratetheeconomicroleoftheenvironmentintotheirincomeaccountsisneitheraquicksellnoraquickprocess;@#@ithasbeenunderdiscussionsincethe1960s.Despitecontroversiesdescribedinthisarticle,however,interestisgrowinginmodifyingnationalincomeaccountingsystemstopromoteunderstandingofthelinksbetweeneconomyandenvironment.@#@WhyChange?

@#@@#@Governmentsaroundtheworlddevelopeconomicdatasystemsknownasnationalincomeaccountstocalculatemacroeconomicindicatorssuchasgrossdomesticproduct.Buildinganation'@#@seconomicuseoftheenvironmentintosuchaccountsisaresponsetoseveralperceivedflawsintheSystemofNationalasdefinedbytheUnitedNationsandusedinternationally.OneflawintheSNAoftencitedisthatthecostofenvironmentalprotectioncannotbeidentified.Consequently,moneyspent,say,toputpollutioncontroldevicesonsmokestacksincreasesGDP,eventhoughtheexpenditureisnoteconomicallyproductive,someargue.Thesecriticscallfordifferentiating“defensive”expendituresfromotherswithintheaccounts.@#@Alsomisleadingisthefactthatsomeenvironmentalgoodsarenotmarketedthoughtheyprovideeconomicvalue.Fuelwoodgatheredinforests,meatandfishgatheredforconsumption,andmedicinalplantsareexamples.Soaredrinkingandirrigationwater,whosesalepricesreflectthecostofdistributionandtreatmentinfrastructure,butnotthewateritself.Whilesomecountriesdoincludesuchgoodsintheirnationalincomeaccounts,nostandardpracticesexistfordoingso.Whennonmarketedgoodsareincludedintheaccounts,theystillcannotbedistinguishedfromthosethataremarketed.@#@Valuingenvironmentalservicessuchasthewatershedprotectionthatforestsaffordandthecropfertilizationthatinsectsprovideisdifficult.Thoughsomeexpertscallfortheirinclusioninenvironmentallyadjustedaccounts,typicallyneithertheeconomicvaluenorthedegradationoftheseservicesisincluded.Ontheotherhand,however,thealternategoodsandservicesneededtoreplacethem-watertreatmentplants,forexample—docontributetoGDP,whichcanberathermisleading.@#@Stillanotherproblemisthatnationalincomeaccountstreatthedepreciationofmanufacturedcapitalandnaturalcapitaldifferently.Physicalcapital—abuildingoramachine,forinstance—isdepreciatedinaccordancewithconventionalbusinessaccountingprinciples,whileallconsumptionofnaturalcapitalisaccountedforasincome.Thustheaccountsofacountrythatharvestsitsforestsunsustainablywillshowhighincomeforafewyears,butwillnotreflectthedestructionoftheproductiveforestasset.Whileopinionsvaryonhowtodepreciatenaturalcapital,theyconvergeontheneedtodoso.@#@WhichIndicatorsAreUseful?

@#@@#@Someproponentsadvocatesimple“flag”indicatorstoalertpolicymakerstothebroadroleoftheenvironmentintheeconomy,forexample,comparingconventionalGDPwithenvironmentallyadjustedGDP,orconventionalsavingswithso-called“genuine”savingsthataccountforenvironmentalfactors.Bothoftheseindicatorscanprovidevaluablewarningsoftheimpactsofenvironmentaldegradationonaneconomy.However,suchflagsarelessusefulindeterminingthesourceofenvironmentalharmoridentifyingapolicyresponse.Forthisreason,manyeconomistsplaceprimaryimportancenotonthebottomline,butontheunderlyingdatausedtobuildenvironmentalaccounts.ThesedatacanhelpanswersuchquestionsashownaturalcatastropheslikethefiresthatragedinIndonesiainthesummerof1998mayaffecteconomicgrowth,orhowenvironmentalprotectionpoliciessuchasgreentaxesmayaffecttheeconomy.@#@WhoIsDoingThis?

@#@@#@Environmentalaccountingisunderwayinseveraldozencountries,wherebureaucrats,statisticians,andotherproponentsbothforeignanddomestichaveinitiatedactivitiesoverthepastfewdecades.Severalcountrieshavemadecontinuousinvestmentsindatasystems,whichareintegratedintoexistingstatisticalsystemsandeconomicplanningactivities.Othershavemademorelimitedeffortstocalculateafewindicators,oranalyzeasinglesector.SomeoftheearliestresearchonenvironmentalaccountingwasdoneatRFFbyHenryPeskin,workingonthedesignofaccountsfortheUnitedStates.@#@OneofthefirstcountriestobuildenvironmentalaccountsisNorway,whichbegancollectingdataonenergysources,fisheries,forests,andmineralsinthe1970stoaddressr