The cost of degradation of the Dutch North Sea environment - update 2024 : A study into the cost of avoiding degradation and the applicability of the Ecosystem Services approach

Summary

This report provides an insight into the cost of degradation of the marine environment of the Dutch part of the North Sea by calculating the annual current (2022) costs of measures that avoid or minimise degradation. In addition to this, insight is provided into the potential applicability of the ecosystem services approach to calculate ecosystem benefits gained when Good Environmental Status is reached, in comparison to a Business-as-Usual scenario. The total costs of measures that avoid degradation of the Dutch North Sea environment have been calculated to be in the range of approximately at least €7.19-2.02bn in 2022. In terms of the applicability of the Ecosystem Services Approach methodology, it is concluded that the methodology and empirical application are not mature enough yet and that the data needed are too limited to be applied within the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.