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Environmental costs in the Netherlands by target sector and theme, 1985 - 2002

The environmental costs will be more than EUR 11 billion in 2002. This indicator gives a detailed description of the environmental costs by target sector and by environmental theme.

 Agricul-ture and horticul-tureIndustryEnergy supplyTraffic and transportConsu-mersTrade, services and govern-ment Con-struc-tionWaste manage-ment com-panies1)Actors in the water chainTotal
 
 EUR million (2003 prices)
Total7551 6705727211012 0901543 2421 86111 166
Acidification 2)7728422840357233101 075
Climate change161319014236000297
Eutrophication598280009902190918
Toxic and hazardous substances567747323310338745871 856
Waste management0113250140423 2348264 254
Disturbance27980860273200521
Research and development0722100617003713
Implementation and enforcement091150057840198887
Soil pollution0133780720716044485
Other 3)6813400260013160
           
Source: RIVM.       RIVM/EDC/May2003/0423
1) From 2001 onwards, expenses for waste management were calculated by the Waste Management Council (Afval Overleg Orgaan); the distinction between Toxic and hazardous substances and Waste management is no longer feasible in some areas on the basis of the figures available to the Waste Management Council.
2) Environmental costs of Acidification relate to NOx, SO2, and NH3.
3) Other includes depletion of the ozone layer, desiccation and landscape.

Environmental costs


The environmental costs amounted to more than EUR 11 billion in 2002. Between 1995 and 2000, overall environmental costs rose by approximately EUR 2 billion. This rise was due mainly to extra environmental expenditure by central government and by increases in the Waste incinerators, numbers and capacity in the Netherlands, 1970-2001.

Environmental costs by theme


Most of total environmental expenditure was spent on the themes of Waste management and Toxic and hazardous substances. Environmental costs for the Disposal theme are mainly linked to sewage and to the collection and processing of waste. Environmental costs for the Toxic and hazardous substances theme are primarily related to the treatment of wastewater and costs associated with a number of measures for reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) as part of the Hydrocarbons 2000 project.

Environmental costs by target sector


From 1985 onwards, the environmental costs were incurred mainly by the following target sectors: Waste disposal, Actors in the water chain (for sewage and wastewater treatment plants), industry and government. However, from 1990 onwards, the proportion of environmental costs incurred by other target sectors increased. With the exception of the Energy sector, the environmental costs paid by all target sectors were higher in 2000 than in 1995.

Technical note


In accordance with the Environmental Costs Methodology, the interest rate (that is used to calculate the annual cost of capital for investment) is determined on the basis of the actual capital market rate (Hanemaaijer and Dirkx, 2001). The interest rate therefore varies in time with the capital market rate. High inflation in 2001 meant that the actual capital market rate was low compared to other years. As a result, the calculated interest costs of investments in 2001 were clearly lower than in preceding and subsequent years. That is the reason for the dip in overall environmental costs in 2001.

References


  • Hanemaaijer, A.H. and M.C.A.P. Dirkx (2001). MONNIE 2000: Milieukostenmodel RIVM. RIVM (report no. 773 401 003), Bilthoven.

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium


Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium
This page was last changed on November 28, 2005  (version 01).