Is there a simple way to explain to non-experts what eco-costs are?
Eco-costs is a measure to express the amount of environmental burden of a product on the basis of prevention of that burden. It are the costs which should be made to reduce the environmental pollution and materials depletion in our world to a level which is in line with the carrying capacity of our earth. For example: for each 1000 kg CO2 emission, one should invest 135,- in offshore windmill parks (or other CO2 reduction systems at that price or less). When this is done consequently, the total CO2 emissions in the world will be reduced by 50% (1990 is 100%). As a result global warming will stabilise. In short: “the eco-costs of 1000kg CO2 are 135,-“. Similar calculations can be made on the environmental burden of acidification, eutrification, summer smog, dust, and the use of heavy metals, fossil fuels and land (nature). The eco-costs of a product are the sum of all eco-costs of emissions and use of materials during the life cycle “from cradle to grave”. The widely accepted method to
