Cost-benefit analysis and measuring environmental benefits

2021 ◽  
pp. 152-190
Author(s):  
Peter N. Nemetz
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Benefit Analysis

scholarly journals How much is a public park worth? An ex ante methodology for impact and cost-benefit analysis on the example of Millenáris Széllkapu in Budapest

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 7-21
Author(s):  
Vera Iváncsics ◽  
Zsolt Szendrei ◽  
József Obertik ◽  
Gábor Balás
Keyword(s):  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Public Parks ◽  
Hedonic Price ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Public Park ◽  
Ex Ante ◽  
Investment Returns

Establishing a public park raises a number of methodological issues. The model worked out by HÉTFA Research Institute is suitable for cost-benefit analysis and ex ante viability test of a public park integrated into urban landscape. The paper presents the model by the example of a planned public park at one of the busiest centers of Budapest, the junction of Margit Boulevard and Millennium Park. Such a comprehensive economic evaluation for public parks has not been made in Hungary. First the mechanism of effects was set up, and by using the hedonic price method the project’s costs and benefits were presented with national and international statistical indicators and benchmarks. The investment, that has been started in 2016 with in the initial planning and demolition pays for itself by 2019. The results are tested with sensitivity analysis, which has inter alia shown that if we count by the general approach of the project management - costs are expected to increase by 10% and benefits are to reduce by 10% - investment returns for the city and their inhabitants for 2030. Furthermore, without the effect of property appreciation - the investment turns positive by 2061 thanks only to indirect social, economic, environmental benefits. According to our analysis, the park's development, which relaxes a built-in highly populated urban fabric, has become an economically profitable investment as a result of significant beneficial external effects.

scholarly journals Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis of Prefabricated Public Housing in Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaicheng Shen ◽  
Chen Cheng ◽  
Xiaodong Li ◽  
Zhihui Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Public Housing ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Technology Application

In recent years, prefabricated housing has become increasingly popular and widely promoted due to its potential to improve the construction environment, quality and productivity. To develop prefabricated housing and address housing challenges, the Chinese government is encouraging prefabricated public housing. Consequently, evaluating the environmental performance of prefabricated public housing to identify whether it is environmentally friendly and worthy of investment is urgently needed. This paper compares the costs and benefits of prefabricated public projects and traditional projects based on a questionnaire and field investigation. The paper introduces information from the collected questionnaires on the respondents and projects in Beijing; this information includes the prefabrication rate, technology application, barriers, and industrial performance. The paper also reports a cost-benefit analysis of the changing rates of construction costs and environmental benefits (energy consumption, water usage, construction waste, steel and concrete usage, dust and noise pollution) by using the ∆B/∆C ratio to show the efficiency of prefabricated housing. The results indicate that the ratio is 1.81, which exceeds 1; therefore, investment in prefabricated public housing is environmentally acceptable and efficient. This paper also discusses the efficiencies in different categories and structures with and without incentives. The results show that the costs are higher and the environmental benefits are efficient but not significant; thus, promoting prefabricated public housing is necessary.

Life Cycle Incremental Cost-Benefit Analysis of Green Building

2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 4645-4651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Chen ◽  
Jian Guo Chen ◽  
Xin Xin Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Incremental Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Evaluation Indexes

The promotion of green building has significant contribution to the implementation of sustainable development principles. And with the enhancing awareness of environment protection, green building becomes the trend of the construction industry. While its promotion is still very difficult, the major barrier affecting the application of green strategies is the high initial cost. So the incremental costs and benefits in the life cycle of green building are identified and described by math equations in this paper. Furthermore, the evaluation indexes of incremental cost-benefit analysis, considering the social benefits and environmental benefits, are given to evaluate the economy of green project, which is of certain practical significance.

Modelling of Optimum Return From Disassembly of Products

Volume 3 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behzad Motevallian ◽  
Kazem Abhary ◽  
Lee H. S. Luong
Keyword(s):  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Mathematical Formulation ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Commercial Viability ◽  
Recovery Cost

To design products simultaneously for disassembly and commercial viability, a cost-benefit model need to be developed for assessing the design for ease of disassembly as well as materials recyclability. This paper presents a mathematical formulation to maximize the profits from disassembly of products. Disassembly process involves several activities each with its associated costs and benefits. The model in this paper looks at the balance between the costs of disassembly operations and the benefits it generates through reutilization of retrieved components, and reprocessing of retrieved materials. A cost-benefit analysis include factors such as: the disassembly cost, sorting and recovery cost, dumping cost for remaining fractions, and the revenues from retrieved parts, subassemblies, components, and materials as well as the environmental benefits such as benefits of emission reduction from energy savings by savings from extraction of raw materials and their processing.

scholarly journals Green Payment and Perceived Rural Landscape Quality: A Cost-Benefit Analysis in Central Italy

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Cortignani ◽  
Federica Gobattoni ◽  
Raffaele Pelorosso ◽  
Maria Ripa
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Rural Development ◽  
Rural Landscapes

The conservation of perceived scenery of traditional extensive and diversified landscapes is a valuable aim for reaching sustainable rural development. Considering the financial budget assigned and the application rules of European Union agricultural policy (Common Agricultural Policy—CAP), the relationship between perceived landscape benefits and CAP first pillar payments is an interesting aspect to analyze. In this study, a cost-benefit analysis has been carried out in a rural area of Central Italy that represents typical Italian conditions of hilly territories. Greening payment, a mechanism aimed to boost public goods, including landscapes and their ecological functionality, was selected as a proxy for policy cost of preserving traditional extensive landscapes. The benefits of greening have been evaluated through the analysis of the people’s willingness to pay for the maintenance of extensive and diversified landscapes. The analysis conducted does not explicitly consider the full range of environmental benefits determined by greening, even if some interviewees may have perceived them in addition to the visual perception of the rural landscape. The present study can contribute to the debate on the agricultural policy post-2020, especially for a future definition of long-lasting and cost-effective sustainable interventions in hilly and extensive rural landscapes.

scholarly journals Social Cost Benefit Analysis of Port Handling Plans for Annex IV waste of MARPOL: A Case Study in Las Palmas Port

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2382
Author(s):  
Alba Martínez-López ◽  
Alejandro Ruiz-García ◽  
Ivone Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Social Interest ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Port Authorities ◽  
Treated Effluent

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of Directive (EU) 2019/883 from the social interest perspective. To achieve this aim, it assesses the performance of the sewage treatment plan (Annex IV of MARPOL) in Las Palmas Port and the accomplishment of the Cost Recovery System. This involves reviewing the mandatory fees for landing the sewage in the port, the sewage treatment costs and the environmental impact of the treated effluent from the vessels (environmental benefits) and addressing technical difficulties in order to meet the normative standard required from the vessels’ sewage in the framework of Las Palmas Port. Through a cost–benefit analysis not only the current protocol for the reception and treatment of Annex IV waste in the port is assessed, but also alternative waste treatment plans (sewage routes) are discussed in terms of social interest. The results of the paper show that only when the treated sewage is reused are the costs assumed to implement the directive overtaken by the benefits gained from complying with it. Consequently, the port authorities should address their efforts in this direction, as should the policy makers, who should integrate in the international normative the collaboration of the on-board sewage treatment plants to meet the PPP (Polluter Pays Principle).

scholarly journals Environmental Benefits and Economical Sustainability of Urban Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation—A Cost-Benefit Analysis of an Existing Reuse Project in Puglia, Italy

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2926
Author(s):  
Claudio Arena ◽  
Mario Genco ◽  
Mario Rosario Mazzola
Keyword(s):  
Water Reuse ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Aesthetic Enjoyment ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Almost All

Besides benefits associated to increased water availability for irrigation, reuse projects of urban water can also provide positive environmental impacts, as they contribute to improve water quality of the receiving bodies by diverting wastewater from their outlet. This represents a typical win-win situation where significant synergies can be achieved between urban and agricultural sector, and the environment. These favorable conditions, however, do not necessarily imply that water reuse is either feasible from an economic perspective nor that the underlying supply chain is going to be triggered, if certain conditions are not met. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is considered a sound, theoretically well-grounded tool to analyze the financial and economical sustainability of an investment. The paper presents the CBA of an existing reuse scheme in Puglia, in southern Italy, reclaiming wastewater for irrigation from a coastal area with growing recreational, beach-related activities. Supported by operational data, official statistics and sector documents, the CBA reveals that in almost all scenarios the existence of environmental benefits must be invoked in order to consider the project economically sustainable. Coherent screening of the different impacts, isolating the ones that are applicable to the specific case-study, shows that these benefits are mainly non-use benefits related to the aesthetic enjoyment of clean water in the reclaimed stretch of coastline where wastewater discharge may no longer take place or take place in a way that significantly reduce seawater pollution.

scholarly journals Project GENESIS: An All-inclusive Model to Perform Cost-Benefit Analysis of Green Roofs and Walls

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Cristina Matos Silva ◽  
Carlos Oliveira Cruz ◽  
Inês Teotónio
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Uncertainty Model ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Alternative Solutions

Green roofs and walls are one of the most promising alternatives for retrofitting existing built environments and tackle urban challenges in a multifunctional way. Yet, these solutions are being confined to specific countries or cities, as their economic contribution has not been fully examined nor accepted. GENESIS is a trans-disciplinary project funded by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia that will develop a systematic and comprehensive model to support potential investors or decision-makers, balancing the costs with the benefits of green roofs and walls in a life cycle perspective. The main objective of the project is to enhance existing cost-benefit analysis of green roofs and walls through a multidisciplinary approach that will allow the replication in different regions and type of infrastructures. This will be achieved by: i) monetizing and including all economic, social and environmental benefits in the analysis in order to weight different types of benefits (even those that are typically difficult to estimate because they have no market value) and establish a comparative basis of alternative solutions and potential scenarios; ii) comprising an uncertainty model to cope with climate change and inaccurate forecasting of benefits/costs modelling and; iii) including multi-criteria mode in order to incorporate users and investors preferences. This all-inclusive model crucial for a wide spreading in is green roofs and walls and a more sustainable development in cities. Keywords: green roofs/walls; cost-benefit analysis; investors/users preferences; sustainable urban development; uncertainty

scholarly journals Cost-benefit Analysis of Compostable Food Serviceware: A Case Study of an Educational Institute in California

2020 ◽  
pp. 100-106
Author(s):  
Kamalpreet Kaur ◽  
Michael Acid
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Financial Assessment ◽  
Discount Factors ◽  
Depth Analysis

Globally, many educational institutes are focusing on implementing sustainability goals by encouraging the use of compostable products over the plastics, reducing waste, conserving water and others. The study performs a financial assessment of using Compostable food service ware (CSFW) in the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), Monterey, California. To better understand the financial implications of the use of compostable food ware, comparisons have been made with the traditional reusable food service ware (RSFW). The results were calculated and compared through different approaches including data analysis, a Cost-Benefit Analysis and Net Present Values (NPVs). NPV values of compostable resulted in positive figures at different discount factors where a 3% discount rate has a higher value. The study concludes that investing in CSFW could be a financially sound approach as this practice is not only cost-effective but has certain environmental benefits over the reusables. The findings of our study can be used in the decision-making process by the educational institutes and other organizations while targeting their sustainability goals. Further studies can be done to evaluate the in depth analysis of assessing costs of production, carbon footprints and to determine the payback period of both types of items.

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