Proceedings

Sustainable Planning Instruments and Biodiversity Conservation
Sustainable Development and Encouragement of Environmentally Friendly Branches in the Latvian National Economy
Number of facilities
European Commission about these industries. The
European industry branches that exceed the defined
quantity are shown in Figure 4.
The greatest numbers of companies that exceed
pollution limits are in Rīga, Daugavpils and Liepāja.
5 Concluding Remarks
Based on the research carried out, the following main
conclusions are drawn.
1. Results of the research are connected with the
investigation and improvement of the methods for
economic evaluation of environmental pollution in
order to apply them at enterprises and organizations,
with developing economic-mathematical models and
adjusting them to real planning of environmental
protection activities and including them into strategic
plans as well as in investment projects. From the
economics point of view, it would be correct to choose
that kind of resources’ utilization that would permit
achieving the highest effectiveness.
2. The structure of environmental pollution in Latvia
depends on the structure of the national economy
branches. It is complicated to choose the best method
12
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
895
Combustion
174
Refineries
Coke ovens
17 15
Coal plants
825
688 669
Metal industry
325
34
118
328
Activity
Figure 4. Categories whose pollution limits are exceeded in Europe
Cement, clinker, lime mineral
Organic chemicals
Inorganic chemicals
Biocides and explosives
Pharmaceuticals
Hazardous/municipal waste
908
Nonhazardous waste/landfills
402
Pulp and paper
131 26
643
Textiles
Tanning
Slaughterhouses, milk production
for the evaluation of pollution created by economic
activities, because due to unjustified, frequent changes
in the requirements of legislation, the data structure
(accounting and information) necessary for modeling
also changes. The economic situation of Latvia is still
in the stage of transmission from traditional economy
to sustainable economy.
3. Pollution and its increase depends on three main
factors – the total number of population, welfare of
society and devising and use of various technologies.
Pollution development (direction) cannot always be
measured. The increase in resource consumption
is not necessarily needed for economic growth, as
the same and even better results can be achieved
by a more useful utilization of resources, including
restructuring of branches, recycling of resources and
introduction of environmental protection activities.
4. There are problems with the various interpretations
of the definition of sustainable development. Very
often sustainable development is talked about as a
totality of environmental protection activities only,
or equal development of the regions and the centre,
or sustainable development of the territory, or
development of the national economy (sustainable
21
Animal waste
2801
Poultry and pigs
346
Surface treatment
11
Carbon
growth, sustainable production development). It is
necessary to use a common explanation of the term,
which has been written into the law “On Environment
Protection”: “sustainable development – integral
and balanced development of society welfare, the
environment and economy that satisfies the current
social and economic needs of the population and
permits observing requirements of environmental
protection without endangering possibilities to satisfy
the needs of future generations, as well as ensures
preservation of biological diversity”.
5. Economic activities always leave an impact on
the environment. The strategy of sustainable
development is based on the dematerialization
conception – provision of a certain welfare level, at
the same time reducing material consumption needs
and resource consumption. Latvia as a European
Union Member State has a duty to implement
policies that provide sustainable development
principles, but the government, in its turn, has to
ensure implementation monitoring. Environmentally
friendly economic activities have to be grounded on
calculations of expenditures – benefits – resource
consumption, and other calculations.
Summarizing the conclusions of the research work,
the author makes the following proposals.
1. A national-level inventory is needed in order to
ascertain current pollution, to acknowledge the
possible pollution and to provide preventive activities.
The classification of the polluted places is provided
in the law “On Pollution”, but there is no instrument
which would force municipalities to get involved
and provide information. Therefore, the government
should ensure the collection of relevant information
and make it accessible for the society at large.
2. Society lacks understanding about types of pollution,
its amount and consequences. There is lack of
information about particular branch pollution and
possible risks; therefore, the Regional Boards of the
State Environmental Inspectorate have to publish lists
of the enterprises and organizations which have been
notified about polluting activities, corresponding
to the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 294 of
July 9, 2002, “Regulations on the procedure for the
notification of category A, B and C polluting activities
and issuing category A and B permits”.
3. In calculations made for fostering development of
environmentally friendly branches, the structural
changes theory by economists A. C. Fisher and C. W.
Clark, as well as V. Leontjevs’ inter-industry balance
mathematical model, should be used for adjusting
the economic instruments on the national level, for
instance, for working out a more flexible tax policy.
4. Municipalities should organize informative,
explanatory and educative seminars and discussions,
where the society on a broader scale would be able
to clarify information about economic activities in
the municipality’s territory and its impact on the
environment, as well as provide free consultations for
the population with the help of e-environment.
5. Analyzing the impact of the EU structural funds on
the Latvian environment infrastructure development,
it is useful to evaluate the economic effectiveness of
investments of the projects, including calculations of
the economic effect of the treatment of environment.
As an obligatory requirement for the economic
grounds of investment projects, repayment time
and expenditure base of environmental protection
activities should be introduced.
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