Gross economic-ecological product as an integrated measure for ecological service and economic products

Mainstream national accounting indices have been debated on the exclusion of nonmarket services, such as ecosystem services. Here we introduce the practice of using the gross economic-ecological product (GEEP) in China to monitor economic growth taking into account ecosystem services. We show that GEEP grew by 6.4% annually from 2015 to 2018 in China, slower than the annualized GDP growth rate of 6.7%. Great spatial heterogeneity of GEEP growths indicate the imbalanced regional development of the economy and ecosystems. As a policy instrument, the GEEP provides a tool to benchmark and monitor economic growth within the means of nature.

Automated summary

The article introduces the use of GEEP in China to monitor economic growth, showing that GEEP grew at a slightly lower rate than GDP, indicating an imbalance between the economy and ecosystems. As a policy tool, GEEP can help monitor economic growth and protect natural capital.