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

Andersson, Anna LU ; Brady, Mark V. LU orcid and Pohjola, Johanna (2022) In Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment 51(1). p.51-68
Abstract
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... (More)
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. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment
volume
51
issue
1
pages
51 - 68
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85107473121
  • pmid:34109539
ISSN
0044-7447
DOI
10.1007/s13280-021-01580-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
461a700f-3dd0-4623-b4b5-75dc479145b6
date added to LUP
2021-06-28 13:42:36
date last changed
2024-05-05 07:58:03
@article{461a700f-3dd0-4623-b4b5-75dc479145b6,
  abstract     = {{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.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Anna and Brady, Mark V. and Pohjola, Johanna}},
  issn         = {{0044-7447}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{51--68}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment}},
  title        = {{How unnecessarily high abatement costs and unresolved distributional issues undermine nutrient reductions to the Baltic Sea}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01580-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s13280-021-01580-4}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}