Integrating environmental and economic costs and benefits: approaches to and experiences with modified cost–effectiveness analysis

The procurement of environmentally favourable products requires extensive comparison of products by the purchaser.

The determination of relief potential or environmental benefits through procurement of environmentally favourable products depends on several basic definitions. A relief potential will be achieved only if a specific product is substituted by a ‘greener’ product. The determination of the relief potential is therefore based on the comparison of environmental impacts of different products. The methodology presented here aims to introduce the cost factor in the assessment of environmental aspects of products.