Handbook of Environmental Accounting

`In a world that is possibly threatened by catastrophic climate changes it is more important than ever to augment and modify current systems of national accounts so as to measure welfare in a dynamic context, i.e. move towards social accounting. This outstanding text written by leading names in the field covers all essential aspects of dynamic welfare theory and also goes beyond pure theory by providing discussion of how to go from theory to application.'- Per-Olov Johansson, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden This concise Handbook examines welfare measurement problems in a dynamic economy, focusing on the welfare-economic foundations for social accounting. With environmental accounting becoming an increasingly important area of research, this timely Handbook assesses the ways in which the system of national accounts should be modified to accurately reflect the social value of economic activity, and how the comprehensive (or `green') net national product ought to be measured. It also addresses the principles for measuring welfare in a community at a given point in time, cost-benefit analysis for measuring welfare change and the principles for measuring sustainability, all of which have played important roles in the development of theories of social accounting. Covering a broad range of topics on environmental accounting such as endogenous risk and social accounting, money metrics welfare measures, public sector aspects of social accounting, dynamic cost-benefit analysis, and genuine saving, this unique Handbook will be a stimulating read for researchers and graduate students focusing on welfare economics and environmental economics.