3. Integrated system of economy-environment accounting

 Lead Papers

Thorkil Casse and Fabiana Issler, Louise Dunne and Frank Convery,David S. Evans, C. Coulthard, I. Henderson, P. Jones,ANITA KON, Van Lantz, Ming Lei, Dirgha N. Tiwari (Dr. Eng.), Heinrich Wohlmeyer and Hermann Dissemond, Yiming Wu

 Ming Lei discussed the integrated accounting for environment and economy under the framework of sustainable development has received increased attention by the international society, since the report of the World Commission on Environmental and Development was published in 1987. This heightening interest led to the proposal contained in Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (Rio de Janiero Earth Summit 1992) to encourage the development of integrated system environmental and economy accounting. In China, such proposal was also contained in the following Chinese Agenda 21 which was put forward in 1993. As well-known, since the 80’s, China began to try to transfer her national accounting system form MPS to SNA in order to be suitable to her market-oriented economy reform process began from 1978. Till 1992, one new national accounting system was put forward and was to be spread in all over the country. However, this new national accounting system is still belong to the traditional SNA (1968) pattern, the natural resources and environmental factor was not considered specially in it. Meanwhile, works on the study on Chinese integrated system of environmental and economy accounting were just started. By now, various methods about how to realize the integrated accounting between environment and economy have been proposed, two of which methods are noticeable: one is so called "direct "method modifying the core system of the SNA itself with natural resource factors, and the other is so called "indirect (satellite)" method developing an SNA satellite system for integrated accounting. The former is abandoned gradually today for it’s complexity and huge works and non-sustainable for the National Accounting System. On the other hand, the later, however, is accepted widely all over the world, especially, after the United Nation revised its traditional 68’SNA and developed one general framework of integrated system environmental and economy accounting (SEEA) as a part of this revision in 1993. Till now, various components of the SEEA have been tested in case studies in Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Thailand etc.. Specially, one concrete and complete national SEEATiJapanese SEEA was developed as a satellite account interconnected with the central framework of Japanese SNA in Japan in 1995. The work in Japan not only accumulated many good experience of construction of the concrete national SEEA but also demonstrate further that SEEA is an efficient system which can provide a valuable information base for integrated development and planning policy. Under this situation, it’s doubtless an urgent and important task to develop a simple, effective and practical integrated system of environment & economy accounting of China (CSEEA), which is consistent with the Chinese new SNA framework and capable of assessing the burden of economic activities on the natural resources and environment in China today. And using the other country’s experience, especially Japan’s, for reference is obviously an effective way. On the basis of the United Nation’s 93’SNA and General Framework of Integrated System Environmental and Economy Accounting and Chinese National Accounting System’s reform practice, the specific objectives of this study is try to construct one simple, effective and practical integrated system of environment & economy accounting of China (CSEEA), and thereby estimate the 1992 Chinese environmental adjusted GDP (Green GDP) and assess of two major aspects of economic policy, (a) the sustainability of economy growth, (b) the structure distortion of the economy by environmentally unsound production and consumption pattern. This study is further research on the basis of our one former works on input-output accounting for natural resources-economy-environment.

An indicator measures the per cent of population taking each mode of transportation to work and are travelling by private motor vehicle, public transit, bicycle, walking or other modes of transportation. The environmental impact of commuting is significant in urban areas (Dufour). Monitoring commuting habits will assist city planners and others in developing efficient and appropriate transportation systems and in encouraging environmentally friendly modes of transportation.

An indicator measures the average distance to work on a daily basis. Commuting distance reflects the integration of work and residence locations. Daily travel to work currently consumes large amounts of fuel and produces significant vehicle emissions. A reduction in this measure would mean a reduction in harmful environmental impacts.