目前在從事規劃乃至於公共決策時，對環境資源之評價偏向以「貨幣」作為街量指標。以新古典經濟為導向之環境經濟學家，應用「願付成本」之觀念、評價自然環境。然而，此觀點被生態學家批評為個人之主觀判斷，缺乏生物-物理理論基礎。本研究之主要目的是以台北都會區為研究個案，嘗試利用不同於以「貨幣」為評估指標的研究方法，收集都會區內之相關資料，引介生態學家H.T. Odum所發展之能值( Emergy )觀念與方法，探討:(1)都會區經濟系統的運作與自然體系所提供之能量及物質間的相五關係;以及(2)都會區和都市問之生態階層關係。研究結果顯示，由整體生態經濟系統之觀點，台北都會區仰賴大量之購入能值，單位面積之能值使用強度極高，顯示其高度經濟發展。然而，平均每人能值使用量卻極低，相形之下，都會區之生活水準未臻理想。此外，經濟活動對自然環境之壓力亦可由能值投資比、廢棄物佔總能值使用量比例等指標顯示出。以能值作為環境評價之衡量單位，其目的可用來做為公共政策之參考，卻非用以取代市場貨幣機能。

Monetary units are frequently used as measurement for planning and public decision makings. The “willingness-to-pay"based approach has been practiced by the neocJassicaloriented environmental economists to shadow price the value of natural environment. However， it has also been criticized by ecologists as a subjective approach and for lack of the biophysical value basis. Theprimary aim of this research is to incorporate the concept of emergy (spelled with an M) synthesis， developed by H. T. Odum， and use the Taipei metropolitan region as a case example to study: (1)the relationships between metropolis economic system and natural system; and (2) the ecological hierarchy between metropolis and city. The results indicate that from the ecological economic system point of view， Taipei metropolitan region has reached highly developed state due to its significant dependence on purchased emergy-and high emergy use per area. However， the low per capita emergy use reveals its less-than-ideal living standard. In addition， the stress OJ? natural environment due to economic activity can also be shown by emergy indices such as emergy investment ratio， proportion of waste emergy， etc. Emergy can be used as measurement for environmental valuation for public policy rather than as substitute for monetary exchange in the market.