Environmental accounting is a useful technology for identifying, analysing and quantitatively measuring the costs and effects of environmental protection measures in business activities. As such, it is expected to be a key instrument for shaping a sustainable economy and society with low environmental impacts.

Participants in the International Symposium on Environmental Accounting will discuss and examine the worldwide trends in environmental accounting and international efforts taken in this field. Experts from academic and business communities, including corporate managers in charge of environmental accounting, will attend.

The symposium will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, 4 June, in the U Thant International Conference Hall at the UN House in Tokyo with opening remarks by Prof. A.H. Zakri, Director of UNU/IAS, and a representative from the Ministry of the Environment. Ralph Chapman, Director of UN DSD/DESA will deliver the keynote speech. There will be presentations on "World Trends of Metrics of EMA," "The UK's Promotion of Environmental Accounting and the Role of Government" and "Japan's Trends in Environmental Accounting," followed by a two-hour panel discussion on "The Future of Environmental Accounting."

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend. A copy of the tentative programme is attached for your reference. For more information, or to reserve a place at the symposium, please contact the UNU Public Affairs Section.