Negotiating the Acid Rain Problem in Europe: A Fairness Perspective

Albin, C. (1993). Negotiating the Acid Rain Problem in Europe: A Fairness Perspective. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-93-050

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Abstract

A major problem in tackling many environmental issues, transboundary and global in particular, is the fundamental fairness concerns involved. These arise from the wide differences among countries in responsibility for the problems at hand and the degree to which they are affected by them, and the difficulty of distributing fairly the costs and benefits of regulations among parties whose interests in and ability to pay for an agreement vary drastically.

The acid rain negotiations in Europe is a prime case demonstrating that substantial emission reduction strategies must, among the core requirements involved, be viewed as fair if they are to be politically feasible and accepted, implemented, and honored in the long run. Research to date, however, has focused almost exclusively on the analysis and generation of options which are effective in economic and, more recently, environmental terms.

The study discusses the general fairness issues involved in attempts to control and reduce sulfur and nitrogen dioxide emissions in Europe, through negotiation in particular. The nature and some implications of the diverse principles underlying proposed strategies for managing the transboundary air pollution problem are analyzed. Explored is the potential applicability of certain analytic problem-solving tools in helping to bridge or reconcile, in a negotiation process, opposing positions regarding "fair" emission abatement strategies in Europe.

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