Costs and Benefits of Acid Emission Control Strategies

Abstract

Any programme to reduce emissions of acid pollutants SO₂ and NO_x to mitigate the effects of acid precipitation and of other associated photo-oxidant pollutants should be based on a consideration of the value of the likely benefits of various control strategies in relation to their costs. The political process will, of course, also determine priorities and the level of acceptable expenditure in relation to benefits realised. Society may even decide that an overall net economic benefit is not necessary to justify expenditure control. However it is reasonable that in making such decisions it should be aware of:

• who is benefiting from controls and who is paying for the costs of controls, or the distribution effect, as economists would put it;

• the relative magnitude of current damage costs of different types and to what extent these costs may be reduced, i.e. the realisable benefit if emissions are reduced in relation to the costs of different levels of controls;

• the uncertainties involved in realising the benefits.