Publicizing fine-particulate (so-called PM2.5) levels was critical to mobilizing widespread Chinese public support for addressing air pollution. Similar metrics are now needed to measure other forms of natural capital destruction, such as deforestation, marine-reef bleaching, wastewater discharge, and soil degradation.
向绿色经济的成功转型需要新的衡量指标。好消息是一些国家已开始着手计算二氧化碳排放的隐形成本。在美国，碳的“社会成本”从每吨排放量21美元提高到35美元。在中国，公布PM2.5水平在动员公众支持解决空气污染问题上起到了关键作用。现在，我们需要类似的指标来衡量其他形式的自然资本破坏，如森林采伐、珊瑚礁白化、废水排放和土壤退化等。