How much do environmental problems cost?

4/11/08 - There is fear that the current economic crisis might overshadow environmental concerns and there are already signs of some governments trying to backtrack on earlier commitments. But can we afford to delay acting on these environmental problems?

A new OECD publication, Cost of Inaction on Key Environmental Challenges, shows that not responding adequately to these challenges can be expensive, in some cases representing a significant drag on OECD economies. It draws upon existing information on “costs of inaction”, and provides guidance on the complex task of ‘costing’ environmental and resource degradation.