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Accounting for Environmental Activity: Measuring Public Environmental Expenditures and the Environmental Goods and Services Sector in the US

In: Measuring and Accounting for Environmental Public Goods: A National Accounts Perspective

Author

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  • Dennis Fixler
  • Julie L. Hass
  • Tina Highfill
  • Kelly M. Wentland
  • Scott A. Wentland

Abstract

How much of the economy is focused on protecting, rehabilitating, or managing the environment? To answer this question, we develop a proof-of-concept environmental activity account to quantify the environmental goods and services sector (EGSS) in the United States. Methodologically, we employ a satellite account approach similar to the method used by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to quantify other sectors of the economy (e.g., Outdoor Recreation Account, Marine Economy Account) while following the accounting principles and methods outlined in the SEEA Central Framework (SEEA-CF). This approach draws on detailed internal supply-use data, drawn primarily from Census’s Industry and Product data along with other supplemental sources. Overall, we estimate gross output of the EGSS was $725 billion in 2019, or about 1.9% of the total gross output of the US economy. Government expenditures (across all levels) comprise a substantial portion of the EGSS in the US, as the public sector accounted for about 27% of total EGSS output ($197 billion) in 2019. Although these estimates are still preliminary and are not official statistics, the goals of this research are to provide new insights into classification and measurement challenges in producing environmental activity accounts more generally, while also documenting data gaps and accounting issues in the US context more specifically.
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Suggested Citation

  • Dennis Fixler & Julie L. Hass & Tina Highfill & Kelly M. Wentland & Scott A. Wentland, 2024. "Accounting for Environmental Activity: Measuring Public Environmental Expenditures and the Environmental Goods and Services Sector in the US," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring and Accounting for Environmental Public Goods: A National Accounts Perspective, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberch:14825
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    1. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
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    6. Warnell, Katherine J.D. & Russell, Marc & Rhodes, Charles & Bagstad, Kenneth J. & Olander, Lydia P. & Nowak, David J. & Poudel, Rajendra & Glynn, Pierre D. & Hass, Julie L. & Hirabayashi, Satoshi & In, 2020. "Testing ecosystem accounting in the United States: A case study for the Southeast," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
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    9. Wentland, Scott A. & Ancona, Zachary H. & Bagstad, Kenneth J. & Boyd, James & Hass, Julie L. & Gindelsky, Marina & Moulton, Jeremy G., 2020. "Accounting for land in the United States: Integrating physical land cover, land use, and monetary valuation," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
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    11. Nils Brown & Aldo Femia & Dennis Fixler & Ole Gravgård Pedersen & Sven C. Kaumanns & Gian Paolo Oneto & Simon Schürz & Francesco N. Tubiello & Scott Wentland, 2021. "Statistics: unify ecosystems valuation," Nature, Nature, vol. 593(7859), pages 341-341, May.
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    1. Burda, Michael C. & Zessner-Spitzenberg, Leopold, 2024. "Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Price-Driven Growth in a Solow-Swan Economy with an Environmental Limit," IZA Discussion Papers 16771, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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