Towards A Green Net National Product For Ireland Report Launches

Ireland's current measure of economic performance, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), can and should be developed into a Green Net National Product, which takes the environment into account.

These are the findings of new research by the Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI), published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The research report, Towards a Green Net National Product for Ireland, sets out the importance of incorporating a set of Environmental Accounts into the national accounts and develops data and resources that contribute towards measuring Ireland’s green net national product. The ESRI research team, led by Dr John Curtis, found that whereas national governments devote considerable resources to measuring economic performance, fewer have been devoted to measuring how economic activity affects the environment, or how natural resources and a clean environment contribute to economic growth and well-being.


Using a green net national product (GNNP) measurement means that policy decisions that may affect the environment can be built on a strong empirical foundation. The research indicates that households or businesses are not impacted equally by environmental policy measures. The study shows that, for example on a per-person basis, richer households in urban areas have the poorest emissions performance.

In launching the research report Dara Lynott, Deputy Director General of the EPA said: "This research, funded under the EPA’s STRIVE Research Programme, is about delivering a high-quality, policy-focused evidence base which informs decision makers and we are delighted to collaborate with the ERSI on this work."

(CD/MH)