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Nature 448, 518-519 (2 August 2007) | doi:10.1038/448518a; Published online 1 August 2007
Special report China's green accounting system on shaky ground
Jane Qiu1
- Jane Qiu is a freelance writer based in China.
Abstract
Beijing is attempting to introduce a 'green GDP' accounting scheme as a way of ranking local governments' success in achieving economic growth that does not cost the environment. But the scheme is faltering at the pilot stage due to political infighting, says Jane Qiu.
Beijing has stifled an official report that measures the economic cost during 2005 of China's pollution and environmental damage — its 'green' gross domestic product (GDP) — claiming the methods and data available to make such a calculation are too crude for the findings to be meaningful.Critics fear that this may have sent out a dangerous signal for local authorities to continue pursuing economic growth at all costs.
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