Environmental-economic accounts provide a comprehensive overview of the interaction between the environment and the economy. They are based on the internationally agreed System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) and use standard concepts, definitions and classifications. Environmental-economic accounts are compatible with national accounts to the excent possible and thus provide aditional aspects to the economic view of national accounts. The coherent accounting aspects to the economic view of national accounts. The coherent accounting system of environmental-economic accounts is an important tool for analysis and policy impact assessment, also in combination with the accounting system of national accounts.
Overview
Here you will find an overview of the environmental-economic accounts at the Federal Statistical Office.
Raw materials, material flows, water
Here you will find information on the extraction or harvest of raw materials in Germany, on the global use of raw materials for German consumption, on the use of water in production processes and households and on the waste water produced as a result.
Energy flows, emissions
Energy accounts provide information on how much energy is consumed in production processes, transport and households and what energy sources are used. Air emission accounts provide information on the extent to which greenhouse gases such as CO2 and air pollutants are produced during the production or use of energy and beyond.
Taxes and other charges
Environmentally related tax accounts provide information on taxes that have a potential effect on the environment. This information refers to the time the environmental impact of the tax occurs rather than when payment of the tax is received. In addition to the energy and electricity tax, the nuclear fuel tax, motor vehicle tax and aviation tax, environmentally related taxes also include revenues from the national and European emissions trading systems, the EEG surcharge under the Renewable Energy Sources Act, other charges included in the price of electricity and the contribution to the German National Petroleum Stockpiling Agency.
Environmental protection expenditure
Environmental protection comprises any measures aimed at preventing, reducing and eliminating pollution and any other degration of the environment. General government, corporations and households not only make investments but also incur current expenditure to protect the environment. This section shows current expenditure and investments for water protection, waste disposal, protection of biodiversity and landscapes, and many other environmnetal areas by sector (general government, corporations, households).
Agriculture, forest
Forests cover just under one third of Germany's territory. Due to their resources of wood, they are not only an economic factor but they also have ecological functions such as air quality control, climate protection and biodiversity. The wood biomass balance of forest accounts shows the economic aspects, and the carbon balance the ecological aspects of the forest ecosystem and its products, among other things.
Half of the area of Gemany is used for agriculture. These areas are shown here together with the areas used worldwide for food products consumed in Gemany. Information on the agricultural accounts (only in german) showing the income and product flows in agriculture is provided by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Transport and tourism
Transport is one of the main causes of energy consumption and emissions. This section shows various aspects related to transport such as how homegeneous branches and households contribute to the environmental effects, or the use of motor fuels and the volume of environmental taxes in the context of transport.
Tourism affects the environment in many different ways. Environmental-Economic Accounts deal with various environmental-economic aspects of tourism. These include the sector's energy demand and raw material input, the greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions caused by tourism as well as environmental protection expenditure.
Private households
Housing accounts for roughly one quarter of final energy consumption in Germany. This includes room heating, hot water supply, the operation of electrical appliances and lighting. This section provides detailed informaion on these items.
Ecosystem accounts
Germany has a multitude of different ecosystems ranging from tidal flats, forest and agricultural landscapes to alpine pastures and mountain meadows. These ecosystems provide manifold services such as storing carbon, providing food and local recreation.
The purpose of ecosystem accounting is to systematically cover, and represent over time, the geographical extent and the state of ecosystems and the services they provide for mankind.
In a first step, results of the area balance sheet of ecosystems are published. This means that all areas of Gemany are assigned without gaps to one of 74 ecosystem classes and are then aggregated to form ecosystem groups, divisions and sections, in accordance with the national classification.