Methodology

The Environmental Accounting Group develops concepts and methods of environmental-economic accounting as well as on practical guidelines on how to implement the accounts. It has recently issued as white cover publications prior to official editing, the SEEA 2003 and SEEAF.

The Group is now working on development of concepts and methods of water accounting in close cooperation with the United Nation Division for Sustainable Development and the London Group on Environmental Accounting. It has launched an Electronic Discussion Group on terms and definitions of water accounting and has prepared a first draft of a handbook on integrated environmental and economic accounting for water resources. A sub-group of the London Group on water resources has been established in order to assist the Group in the finalization of the handbook. The handbook discusses concepts and methods of water accounting and it provides practical guidance on its compilation. It also discusses at length the policy uses of the accounts and the links to water indicators.

The Group works also in close cooperation with the London Group on the development of concepts and methods of mineral and energy resources accounting as well as the expansion of environmental accounting to the social dimension to better measure sustainable development.