Swedish nutrient reduction policies: an evaluation of cost-effectiveness |
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Authors: | Katarina Elofsson |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7013, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden |
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Abstract: | Since more than 30 years, the Swedish government as well as other governments in the drainage basin strives toward a reduction
in nutrient loads to Baltic Sea coastal waters in order to combat eutrophication of the sea. In spite of this, the cost-effectiveness
of actual environmental policy for meeting Baltic Sea nutrient targets has not been evaluated by national or international
bodies in the region. The aim of this paper is to evaluate Swedish national nitrogen and phosphorus policies with regard to
cost-effectiveness. This is done through a comparison of nutrient measures implemented through environmental policy decisions
1995–2005 with cost-effective policies for present national as well as Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) targets. The cost-effective
measures are calculated using an empirical programming model including all countries adjacent to the Baltic Sea. Calculations
show that measures that jointly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus are hardly applied in actual policy and that reductions in
the agricultural sector are much smaller than is cost-effective. Data show, surprisingly, that considerable reductions have
been carried out in the Bothnian Sea catchment in spite of there being no nutrient reduction target for this catchment. Results
suggest also that the Swedish costs for meeting the new and geographically more restricted targets under the BSAP can be reduced
if a policy with less restrictions on the location of phosphorus abatement is applied, compared to what is now suggested. |
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