HL.b.4—Polluter-pays principle

Apply the polluter-pays principle.

The polluter-pays principle assigns the costs of preventing, controlling or repairing pollution to the polluter.

A discharge tax can make a factory compare treatment cost with the cost of releasing waste.

Possible tools include fines, quotas, taxes, permits and certification; choose by the behaviour and monitoring problem.

Key idea: Apply the polluter-pays principle.

Polluter-pays is not permission to pollute after paying a token fee.