International comparison of industrial pollution control costs

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Plooy, L.H.E.C.¹

Note: [1] L.H.E.C. Plooy was born in 1949. He studied economics at the Free University of Amsterdam and graduated in 1974. He joined the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics two years later. At present, he is Chief of the Division for Costs of the Environment.

Abstract: In The Netherlands, regular statistics are drawn up on industrial pollution control costs and investments. Statistics of the same kind exist in the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Although these statistics are rather similar, there are many – mostly minor – differences in definitions, scope, breakdowns and methods of inquiry. These differences hamper international comparison of industrial pollution control costs and investments. Only common components of sets of data can be compared. Therefore an attempt has been made to compare the ‘highest common factor’ of the Dutch and the American, FRG, Danish and Swedish data. A one-by-one comparison shows, that Dutch industrial pollution control costs are of the same order of magnitude as those in the United States, while the level of industrial pollution control investments is not significantly different from those in the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany and Denmark. Swedish investments, however, seem to be substantially lower.

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-1985-3105

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 55-68, 1985