Valuation of ecological impacts - a regional approach using the ecological footprint concept
- Institute for Applied Material Flow Management, Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, Site of the University of Applied Sciences Trier, PO 1380, 55761 Birkenfeld (Germany)
- Institute for Applied Material Flow Management, Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, Site of the University of Applied Sciences Trier, PO 1380, 55765 Birkenfeld (Germany)
- Centre for Environmental Research, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland)
All economic activities impact on the environment but not all environmental impacts are assigned values and taken into consideration in development budgets. At project level, the environmental consequences of proposed economic activities have to be evaluated by conducting an environmental impact assessment. Threshold levels in physical terms are outlined in corresponding laws and regulations. Projects fulfilling the necessary environmental assessment requirements (threshold levels) tend to be permitted without predicting the expected environmental impacts in monetary terms. The economic valuation of environmental impacts tends to be affected by uncertainties. The following example of indirect monetary valuation of environmental impacts uses the Ecological Footprint (EF) concept to calculate the total land use of projects. According to the strong sustainability concept it is assumed that every additional direct or indirect utilisation of land caused by a project requires corresponding offset areas. The offset areas required by different project alternatives are valued with relevant regional guide land values.
- OSTI ID:
- 20783322
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 26, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2005.04.010; PII: S0195-9255(05)00055-7; Copyright (c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0195-9255
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership
Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership--Phase I