How unnecessarily high abatement costs and unresolved distributional issues undermine nutrient reductions to the Baltic Sea

Andersson, AnnaLund University,Lunds universitet,Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,Institutionen för ekonomi,Department of Economics,AgriFood Economics Centre, SLU,AgriFood Economics Centre, Ekonomihögskolan vid Lunds universitet,Ekonomihögskolan,AgriFood Economics Centre, SLU,AgriFood Economics Centre, Lund University School of Economics and Management,Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM (author)

This paper systematically reviews the literature on how to reduce nutrient emissions to the Baltic Sea cost-effectively and considerations for allocating these costs fairly among countries. The literature shows conclusively that the reduction targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) could be achieved at considerably lower cost, if countries would cooperate to implement the least costly abatement plan. Focusing on phosphorus abatement could be prudent as the often recommended measures—wastewater treatment and wetlands—abate nitrogen too. An implication of our review is that the potential for restoring the Baltic Sea to good health is undermined by an abatement strategy that is more costly than necessary and likely to be perceived as unfair by several countries. Neither the BSAP nor the cost-effective solution meet the surveyed criteria for fairness, implying a need for side-payments.

Brady, MarkLunds universitet,Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,Institutionen för ekonomi,Department of Economics,Lund University,AgriFood Economics Centre, SLU,AgriFood Economics Centre, Ekonomihögskolan vid Lunds universitet,Ekonomihögskolan,BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate,Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC),Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten,Biodiversitet och bevarandevetenskap,Forskargrupper vid Lunds universitet,AgriFood Economics Centre, SLU,AgriFood Economics Centre, Lund University School of Economics and Management,Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM,Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC),Faculty of Science,Biodiversity and Conservation Science,Lund University Research Groups(Swepub:lu)agri-mrb (author)
Pohjola, JohannaFinnish Environment Institute (author)
Sveriges lantbruksuniversitetInstitutionen för ekonomi (creator_code:org_t)
Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet

In:AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment: Springer Science and Business Media LLC51, s. 51–68-0044-74471654-7209

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Environmental Sc ...

By the university: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Lund University

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