外文原文：环境会计.doc

外文原文：环境会计.doc

《外文原文：环境会计.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《外文原文：环境会计.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