Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T13:17:40.543Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Integrating Environmental and Economic Data: Reporting to Create a National Accounting Framework for the Environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson*
Affiliation:
School of Social Science and Policy, University of New South Wales
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Organizations and governments have improved their environmental data collection and reporting performance since 1992, but it is still limited and focussed on specific problem solving rather than providing a national accounting framework for addressing environmental problems. In Australia evidence of the consideration of ‘sustainability’ goals in data collection and disclosure is growing through the development of ‘state of the environment’ reporting. The development of integrated environmental, economic and social information to support the application of more radical environmental modernisation ideas by organizations and governments is weak. Private and public sector organization reporting has improved, but there are still insufficient incentives to enhance it. This paper suggests more systematic reporting at the aggregate level by governments is essential if the environment is to be managed in a regular, balanced, sustainable and responsible way.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , December 2002 , pp. 226 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2002

References

Alexander, J, Higgins, J, White, T (1998) Environmental Indicators: Local and Community Uses, Environment Australia, Canberra.Google Scholar
Australia and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council Task Force (2000a) National Headline Sustainability Indicators, Conference Discussion Paper, Environment Australia, Canberra at www.ea.gov.au/soe/envindicators/pubs/coreindicators accessed 13 October 2001.Google Scholar
Australia and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (2000b) Core Environmental Indicators for Reporting on the State of the Environment, ANZECC, Canberra, March.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Cat. 4605.0 (1997a) Australian Transport and the Environment.Google Scholar
ABS (1997b) Yearbook of Australia, ‘Natural Resources in National Balance Sheets’, ABS, Canberra.Google Scholar
ABS Cat 6403.0 (1999) Environment Protection Expenditure Australia.Google Scholar
ABS Cat 4610.0 (2000) Water account for Australia 1993–4 to 1996–7.Google Scholar
ABS Cat 4611.0 (2001a) Environment Expenditures: Local Government: 1998–99.Google Scholar
ABS Cat 4613.0 (2001b) Australia’s Environment: Issues and Trends.Google Scholar
ABS Cat 1370.0. (2002a) Measuring Australia’s Progress.Google Scholar
ABS Cat 5249.0 (2002b) Australia’s National Accounts: Tourism Satellite Account.Google Scholar
ABS (2002c) Environment: Environmental Attitudes and Behaviour in Australian Households, ABS Canberra. Viewed at www.abs.qov.au/ausstats/ on 29 April 2002.Google Scholar
Australian State of the Environment Committee (2001) State of the Environment: 2001, Environment Australia/CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood (released 2002).Google Scholar
Beck, U (1996) ‘Risk Society and the Provident State’ in Lasch, S, et al (eds) Risk, Environment and Modernity, Sage, Lonon.Google Scholar
Bulkeley, H (2001) ‘No Regrets? Economy and Environment in Australia’s Climate Change Policy Process’, Global Environmental Change, Vol. 11, No. 2, July.Google Scholar
Commonwealth Environmental Protection Agency (now Environment Australia). (1992) Development of National State Environmental Reporting, CEPA, Canberra, December.Google Scholar
Deegan, C (1996) ‘Environmental reporting for Australian Corporations: An Analysis of Contemporary Australian and Overseas Environmental Reporting Practices’, Environmental and Planning Law Journal, April.Google Scholar
Denisov, N, Christoffersen, L., et al (2001) ‘Impact of Environmental Information on Decision Making Processes and the Environment’, UNEP/GRID-Arendal Occasional Paper No. 1.Google Scholar
Environment Australia (2001) Eco-Efficiency Agreement: Eco-Efficiency Performance Agreements, Environment Australia, Canberra. (accessed at www.ea.gov.au/industry/eecp/agreements/indicators.)Google Scholar
Esty, D (2001) ‘Bridging the Trade — Environment Divide’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 15, No. 3, Summer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, R, Bebbington, J, Walters, D (1993) Accounting for the Environment, Markus Weiner Publishers, Princeton.Google Scholar
Gray, R, Owen, D., Adams, C., (1996) Accounting and Accountability: Changes and Challenges in Corporate Social Environmental Reporting, Prentice Hall, Lonon.Google Scholar
Helm, D (Ed) (2000) Environmental Policy: Objectives, Instruments, and Implementation, Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Hollande, R, Curran, G (2001) ‘The Greening of Grey: National Competition Policy and the Environment’, Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 60, No. 3, SeptemberGoogle Scholar
Johnson, M (1991) ‘Regulating the Environment’ in Head, B & McCoy, E (Eds). Deregulation or Better Regulation, Macmillan, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Johnson, M. and Rix, S (eds) (1993) Water in Australia: Managing Economic, Environmental and Community Reform, Pluto Press, Sydney.Google Scholar
Johnson, M (1995) ‘Infrastructure and Australia’s Economic and Social Development Through the 1990’s: Assessing the Problem and the Priorities’ in EPAC Private Infrastructure Task Force, Interim Report: Commissioned Studies, AGPS, Canberra.Google Scholar
Johnson, M (2000) ‘Balancing Sustainability, Efficiency and Equity: An Economic Perspective’ in Dobbinson, K (Ed) Sustainable Transport in Sustainable Cities: Project 1: Technical Papers, Warren Centre, University of Sydney, May.Google Scholar
Johnson, M (2001) ‘The Impact of New Public Management on the Reform of Transportation Infrastructure in Sydney’ in Jones, L, Guthrie, J, and Steane, P (Eds), Learning From Public Management Reform: Research in Public Policy Analysis and Management, JAI: Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Natural Heritage Trust (2000) Public Environmental Reporting: An Australian Approach, Environment Australia, Canberra, March.Google Scholar
New South Wales Council on the Cost of Government (1999) Environmental Reporting in NSW, NSWCCG, Sydney.Google Scholar
Newton, P, et al (1998) Environmental Indicators for National state of the Environment Reporting: Human Settlements, Environment Australia, Canberra.Google Scholar
OECD (1995) Environmental Accounting for Decision-Making, OECD Environmental Monographs, No 113, OECD, Paris.Google Scholar
OECD (2001) OECD Environmental Strategy for the First Decade of the 21st Century, OECD, Paris. 16th May.Google Scholar
Public Accounts Estimates Committee (1998) Environmental Accounting and Reporting, Issues Paper No 5, Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne.Google Scholar
United Nations Environmental Program (1999) Global Environmental Outlook 2000, UNEP, Nairobi.Google Scholar
UNEP (1992) Agenda 21, UNEP, Nairobi.Google Scholar
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar