Health and Environmental Benefits from the Implementation of an Energy Saving Program in Hungary

摘要

This report studies the cost and benefit of implementing a specific energy conservation program in Hungary. It considers the possible reduction in damage to public health, materials and crops that may be obtained by reducing the emission of important air pollutants and examines how the program contributes to reduced emission of greenhouse gases. The measures are described in the National Energy Efficiency Improvement and Energy Conservation Programmes (NEEIECP), a program created by the Hungarian Ministry of Industry and Trade and accepted by the Government in 1994. Possible benefits were estimated by the use of monitoring data and population and recipient data from urban and rural areas in Hungary together with dose response functions and valuation estimates mainly from western studies. The main benefits of reducing the concentration of pollutants are found in the health sector, the most pronounced effect being less chronic respiratory deceases. It is calculated that the annual benefit on public health alone probably exceeds the implementation costs of the program. In addition, the maintenance and replacement costs for building materials have decreased. The damage to crops due to ozone is large, but a significant improvement in Hungary depends upon the concerted action in several countries. 68 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs.