Abstract: This paper focus on first on the original distinction between satellite accounts and aggregate economic indicators. This then leads us to a discussion of green nation accounts expressed in physical units and those expressed in monetary units. The paper then present the construction of accounting ‘frameworks’ as a consequence of the debates on ‘indicators of sustainability’ and ‘ environmental indicators’, and of their importance in environmental policy making. Finally, the paper suggests that the green national accounts should be constructed in China as soon as possible.