The possible impact of national accounts and balances on the development of frameworks for environment statistics

Abstract

The relationship economy-nature is to be reconsidered, for most economists unilaterally try to internalize environmental costs into the economy. In this context, it can be asked whether the System of National Accounts (SNA), described as a set of tools for classification and measurement, can have an impact on frameworks for environment statistics.

An analytical and empirical investigation of this question leads to some proposals for (i) the use of the SNA without (or with only minor) modifications; and (ii) possible modifications or improvements of the SNA.