This paper systematically reviews the literature on how to reduce nutrient emissions to the Baltic Sea cost-effectively and considerations for allocating these costs fairly among countries. The literature shows conclusively that the reduction targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) could be achieved at considerably lower cost, if countries would cooperate to implement the least costly abatement plan. Focusing on phosphorus abatement could be prudent as the often recommended measures—wastewater treatment and wetlands—abate nitrogen too. An implication of our review is that the potential for restoring the Baltic Sea to good health is undermined by an abatement strategy that is more costly than necessary and likely to be perceived as unfair by several countries. Neither the BSAP nor the cost-effective solution meet the surveyed criteria for fairness, implying a need for side-payments.

本文系统地回顾了有关如何经济有效地减少向波罗的海排放营养物质的文献，以及在国家之间公平分配这些成本的考虑因素。文献最终表明，如果各国合作实施成本最低的减排计划，则可以以相当低的成本实现波罗的海行动计划 (BSAP) 的减排目标。专注于减少磷可能是谨慎的，因为经常推荐的措施——废水处理和湿地——也会减少氮。我们审查的一个含义是，使波罗的海恢复良好健康的潜力受到了一种比必要成本更高的减排战略的破坏，并且可能被一些国家认为是不公平的。