University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

Deterioration of air, soil and water quality due to global warming has a negative
impact on health.
Environment quality – Local prosperity
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Local prosperity can be defined as the income of the population living next to
production or conversion site of biomass. Activity created locally by bioenergy
production contributes directly, through employment and expenses, and indirectly,
through taxes, to income and local prosperity. Activity creation can nevertheless
conduct to activity destruction (see figure 11). Activity creation can also generate
changes, damages (for example, on environment) that represent a cost for local
population. It is thus important to assess net impacts of activity creation. Finally,
local prosperity is a self-enforcing criterion which can lead to rural development.
Environment quality is important for local prosperity (see figure 10). Air, soil and
water of good quality represent more economic opportunities and less cost (health,
damage and/or restoration costs, penalties, etc.) which allows higher investment and
activity creation rate, and prosperity.
Figure 10 - Impacts of environment quality on health and local prosperity
Environment quality is correlated with local prosperity.
Direct and Indirect Land-Use Changes – Local prosperity
Biomass production for energy use is a new opportunity for investment, employment
(direct92, indirect93 and induced94), and value-added. It can contribute to local and
rural development.
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Direct employment is due to the activity of, for example, a new or a bigger bioenergy production plant.
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Indirect employment is due to increased activity for the suppliers of the bioenergy production plant, and for the
suppliers of these suppliers, and so on.
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Induced employment is due to increased spending made by people who get an income from bioenergy