Measuring Sustainable Development

‘This is an important if challenging book by a group of leading economists and environmental scientists.’
– H. Theodore Heintz, Jr., Environment

‘This book will be of immense help to policymakers and practitioners as well as researchers, academics and students of development economics and environmental economics.’
– P.V. Subhash Chandra Babu, Environmental Politics

‘. . . the book offers a good review of mainstream approaches to integrating environmental factors into national accounting. . . . for those looking for a good introduction to the greening of national accounts, in a comprehensive, mainstream, non-polemical form, the book is to be recommended.’
– Ralph Chipman, Natural Resources Forum

‘The book contains interesting and readable chapters on the implications of the authors’ proposed framework for international trade and development planning. . . . the book makes a valuable contribution to this important field of inquiry.’
– R.B. Howarth, Environment and Planning A

‘I find the book admirable in both intention and content. Even for non-economists, this book is both stimulating and informative, and I recommend it very highly.’
– John Proops, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

‘. . . the Atkinson et al book offers a thorough discussion of a range of measures designed to alert the policymakers to the “true” trends in the economy. As the quest for appropriate indicators of environmental change and its repercussions is of growing interest in national and international policy fora, it is a particularly timely contribution.’
– Trevor Young, The Manchester School

This path-breaking book focuses on the theory and practice of economic development as viewed from the perspective of sustainability, and the implications of sustainability for development policy. It demonstrates how various indicators can be developed and used to determine whether or not an economy is on a sustainable path of development.

The book is concerned with measuring sustainability in a macroeconomic context so that decision makers are more aware of the real trends in the economy and the way in which their policies may affect these trends. The discussion on such measurement includes: the physical indicators of sustainability, resource and environmental accounting, savings and the empirical measurement of sustainable development, international trade and unsustainable development, ecological indicators, income distribution and social needs, and the assessment of structural adjustment policies and their implications for sustainable development. The authors conclude that the first step towards sustainable development is for a greater awareness of the effects of development on the environment, and the environment on human well-being.

Measuring Sustainable Development will be particularly welcomed by policymakers and practitioners as well as researchers, academics and students of development economics and environmental economics.

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