I came across this chart tracking the link between environmental regulation and economic prosperity in the USA.
It’s a common statement from some that new environmental legislation will lead to economic devastation.
I have never used this line. I only use lines that I think will persuade, and are real facts, not Trump/pub pacts. I just think that most politicians and government officials in the EU just don’t believe it. It’s like they have seen the chart above and assume it is similar for the EU.
Looking at the data
If they did, they would find that the chart above is similar in Western Europe.
You can track the GDP for individual countries here.
I have copied the Dutch and German graphs below.
There is a lot of similarities in the post-WWII growth between the USA and Western Europe.
The similarities don’t stop there. Again, it looks like the introduction of Europe wide environmental laws did not destroy the economy.
Some countries, like Sweden, that joined in 1995, had more advanced and tougher environmental legislation. Their economy did not seem harmed.
Again, the economic hit to Europe was in 2008 from the Global financial crisis. If you want to get a better insight into the reasons behind that read Michael Lewis’s ‘The Big Short’.
Opening up Ludwig Kramer’s E.C. Treaty and Environmental Law, 2nd Edition, you can look at the historical change in EU Environmental law.
1957: Treaty of Rome
1967: Directive 67/548 on the classification, packing and labelling of dangerous substances
1970: Pollution emissions standards motor vehicles introduced
1973: First Environmental Action Programme
1975: First water quality legislation adopted
1975: First waste legislation adopted
1979: wild Birds Directive
1987: Single European Act – Environment added to the Treaty
The economic impact seems to mirror the USA.