The Environment Value System and Green Circular Economy

Zusammenfassung

When assessing the feasibility of implementing a project based on a circular economy model, it is necessary to consider the non-action cost as an alternative, that is, to analyse the costs and benefits that the non-implementation of the model will have. Generally, we tend to value the positive and negative aspects of the execution of a project, but rarely do we consider that not implementing them can also have repercussions. For example, the non-implementation of water reuse projects puts the satisfaction of water needs at risk, generating restrictions in the different uses with their consequent economic implications. In addition, it would continue promoting the overexploitation of aquifers and the reduction of the volume of water of surface sources as well as the decrease in the quality of all water bodies, affecting all ecosystems. Therefore, the inclusion of the costs of no-action in decision-making is essential to justify adequate investment policies that guarantee the implementation of the circular economy actions. Since most of the consequences related to circular economy actions are social and environmental and they usually do not have a market value, their quantification requires very specific economic assessment instruments.