Executive Summary
List of tables and figures
1 Introduction
2 What is COPI?
2.1 Definition
2.2 Place in the policy life cycle
2.3 Why undertake a COPI study?
2.4 Problem recognition
2.5 Relationships with other assessment tools
2.6 Cost of Policy Inaction (COPI) in a Nutshell
3 Methods
3.1 Main degrees of freedom in designing a COPI study
3.1.1 Important distinctions with respect to COST
3.1.2 Important choices with respect to POLICY INACTION
3.2 Recommended method for COPI assessment
3.3 Pitfalls
3.4 Good practice
3.5 The baseline
3.5.1 Business as usual
3.5.2 Private action in lieu of policy
3.5.3 Delayed impacts and avoidable vs. unavoidable costs
3.5.4 Irreversible loss of environmental stocks
3.6 Modular design of a COPI series
3.7 Benefits Transfer and Valuation Databases
4 Experience to build on
4.1 Description of the cases studied
4.1.1 Marine Environment
4.1.2 Air Pollution
4.1.3 Climate Change
4.1.4 Soil degradation
4.1.5 Terrestrial Biodiversity
4.1.6 Environmental Acquis in Central Europe
4.1.7 Integrated Environment Assessment on continental and global scale
4.2 Insights gained from work done
5 Examples of potential areas for analyses on the cost of policy inaction
5.1 Which sub-areas to consider within the environmental policy domain
5.2 Concrete examples of potential application of the COPI concept
5.2.1 The total of environmental cost of policy inaction
5.2.2 Key sectors causing environmental losses
5.2.3 Wider policy targets
5.2.4 Specific environmental goods and services
6 The scope for COPI studies
Annexes
I Elaborated examples of potential areas for analyses on the cost of policy inaction
The total of environmental cost of policy inaction
An easily accessible non-monetized overview of the total of environmental cost of policy inaction
Key sectors causing environmental loss
Growth in private transport
COPI of not meeting the 2010 biodiversity target (not halting biodiversity loss). A literature-based approach
Cost of not halting the long term loss of biodiversity in the EU. A model-based approach
Specific environmental goods and services
COPI of not protecting groundwater
Soil Degradation
Cost of poor land use decisions
II Experiences to build on: Marine Environment
III Experiences to build on: Air Pollution
IV Experiences to build on: Climate Change
V Experiences to build on: Soil degradation
VI Experiences to build on: Terrestrial Biodiversity
VII Experiences to build on: Environmental Acquis in Central Europe
VIII Experiences to build on: Integrated Environment Assessment on continental and global scale
IX Valuation databases
X Analytical framework used to reflect on COPI-related experience
XI Cost of Policy Inaction –Advantages and disadvantages
List of tables and figures
Tables
Table 1: What is and is not COPI
Table 2: COPI measurements and implications
Figures
Figure 1: A basic consideration of costs of policy inaction
Figure 2: Place of COPI in the policy life cycle
Figure 3: Basic considerations for deciding whether to undertake a COPI study
Figure 4: Different problem types
Figure 5: The driving forces … responses framework
Figure 6: COPI: what can be said in what terms
Figure 7: Total, past and avoidable Costs of Policy Inaction
Figure 8: Modular system for COPI assessments
Figures in annexes
Figure 9: Reasons for Concern
Figure 10: Market damages associated with global mean temperature changes
Figure 11: Some non-market risks associated with global mean temperature changes
Figure 12: Development of global biodiversity 1700-2050, Mean Species Abundance in various natural biomes
Figure 13: Biodiversity development for the world, and contribution of stress factors to the decline
Figure 14: Biodiversity losses in OECD