Transcript Norwegian experiences with Green GDP

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The Joint Sino-Norwegian Project
on Green GDP
Project leader: Knut H. Alfsen, Statistics Norway
Presentation to UNCEEA: Olav Ljones, Statistics Norway
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Aim and background of project:
Aim:
• To share experiences with the development and use of
"green GDP "
Background:
• Started through an initiative from China
• Financed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing
• Three institutions have been involved with the work:
– National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS),
– State Environmental Protection Administration of China (SEPA)
– Statistics Norway
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Three project outputs/results
• A joint report (currently being finalised)
• A final seminar (20.-21. February, 2006)
• A training workshop (22.-23. February, 2006)
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Outline of the report: International
experiences with "green GDP"
• Developed by National Bureau of Statistics of China (chapter 5), State
Environment and Protection Administration (chapter 6) and Statistics
Norway
• Summary
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: A brief clarifications of terms
• Chapter 3: Norwegian experiences with "green GDP" and
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"green accounts"
Chapter 4: International experiences with "green GDP" and
"green accounts” (a review)
Chapter 5: Chinese Experiences with Green Accounts
Chapter 6: Policy recommendations for China
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Main conclusions of report
• The notion of "green GDP" as a single, corrected measure
of the value added in an economy, while attractive as a
theoretical concept, is too complex and uncertain in
practice to be able to guide policy making.
• This still leaves the question unanswered: How do you
construct performance measures at the local, regional and
national level that encourage economic development,
while at the same time takes due account of natural
resource and environmental degradation?
– Tentative answers from Norway and some other countries point to
sustainable development indicators (SDI) based on the concept of
comprehensive national wealth as a possible solution.
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International Seminar held 20-21 Feb 2006
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) helped sponsor seminar
• Presenters and participants from a number of Chinese universities as
well as national, regional and municipal environmental and statistical
institutions also Canada, Germany, India, Indonesia, Philippines,
Norway, and UNEP
Sessions:
1. Current work and challenges of green accounting in China
2. Indices and valuation in a Chinese context
3. Policy recommendations to the Chinese government
4. Policy relevance of green accounting
5. Opportunities and challenges of green accounts
6. Special needs of developing countries with regards to
establishing environmental accounting
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Seminar continued
• Work is being done in both the statistical institutes and in
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universities which is helping to establish systems for
environmental accounting in China.
Discussions were held regarding the types of information
that is needed for policy makers at the different levels of
government.
There is a sense of urgency regarding the establishment of
information systems which could provide a basis for
making decisions that integrate economic and
environmental aspects so that economic development
does not continue at the expense of the environment.
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Training Workshop 22-23 Feb 2006
• Attending the training were approximately 60 statisticians
from the regional and national statistical offices.
SEEA-2003 was the basis for the course outline:
• Overview of environmental-economic accounting
• Development of natural resource asset accounts
• Hybrid or NAMEA-accounts with decoupling indicators
• Environmental protection expenditure statistics
• Material flow and related indicators
• Sustainable development indicators
• Some reflections about the statistical requirements for
adjusting national accounts aggregates
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Training workshop continued
• National examples were used to illustrate how different
portions of the SEEA systems have been implemented in
different countries including examples of how the different
SEEA modules have been be adapted to specific national
needs and contexts.
• Julie L. Hass, Statistics Norway, led the workshop with
sessions being held by Walter Radermacher, Statistics
Germany, Robert Smith, Statistics Canada, and Knut
Alfsen, Statistics Norway