National Statistics Online - Articles - UK Material Flow Accounting
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UK Material Flow Accounting
Estimates the total mass of inputs - including fossil fuels, minerals and imports and outputs to the economy- including emissions, waste and exports, for the years 1970-2000.
The article on ‘UK Material Flow Accounting’ assesses the extent to which economic growth in Britain is associated with an increasing demand for natural resources. Data in the article show that there was a reduction in the use of natural resources between 1990 and 2000 despite continuing increases in the size of the UK economy. It also shows that increased economic prosperity in the UK during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s was closely linked with a rise in the use of natural resources, suggesting that the British economy is moving onto a more sustainable path.
The assessment is based upon Material Flow Accounts, which involve estimating the physical amount of natural resources extracted from the environment as a result of the production and consumption activities of the UK economy and balancing this against emissions and waste that are returned to the environment. The Material Flow Accounts cover the use of agricultural, forestry and fishing produce and the mining of fossil fuels, minerals and other aggregates, as well as the volume of goods imported from abroad. They also cover the "hidden" flows of materials such as mining waste which are moved during extraction activities but are not used directly by the economy. The Material Flow Accounts form part of the Environmental Accounts, which are satellite accounts to the UK’s main National Accounts.
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