BACKGROUND
In May 2012, the ABS published experimental sub-sets of environmental tax revenues in Completing the Picture - Environmental Accounting in Practice (cat. no. 4628.0.55.001). These statistics are compiled according to the SEEA Central Framework. As such they provided comparable and harmonised statistics with the rest of the world.
Statistics on environmental taxes have the potential to affect environmental policy and decision-making. In particular, environmental taxes can be used to achieve improved outcomes for the environment as well as an incentive for innovation (OECD, 2010).
Traditionally, economic statistics have been compiled using the System of National Accounts (SNA) framework. Emerging environmental issues such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, chemical use and waste management have driven the development of an additional framework, the SEEA, over the past 20 years. The SEEA is founded on, but also extends, the SNA.
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