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The research evaluates the trade-offs between reducing hydropeaking to improve river ecology and the potential increase in CO2 emissions. Findings indicate that individuals generally prefer stronger restrictions on short-term regulations to benefit fish stocks, recreational use, and the ecological state, with these benefits outweighing the disutility of increased CO2 emissions. The study emphasizes the need to account for unobserved preference heterogeneity in willingness-to-pay estimations.

The GES-REG project coordinated efforts between Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Sweden to implement the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020. The project identified significant variations in how these countries conducted Economic and Social Analysis (ESA), with Latvia and Sweden using an ecosystem services approach while Estonia and Finland used a marine accounts approach. Valuation studies in Estonia and Latvia indicated a public willingness to pay for environmental improvements, with Estonians potentially willing to pay over EUR 11 million annually and Latvians up to EUR 3.8 million per year to reach GES targets. The brief emphasizes that due to data gaps, initial Programmes of Measures (PoMs) will likely rely on a combination of qualitative expert judgments and limited quantitative evidence. It recommends further cross-border coordination on baseline 'business-as-usual' (BAU) scenarios and the harmonization of ecosystem service classifications to better support ecosystem-based governance of the Baltic Sea.