Concepts, methods and applied transition knowledge
The New Economy knowledge base brings together core concepts, methods and perspectives from the regenerative economy. Articles explain footprint, compliance, circular product design, regenerative strategy, food systems and regional policy in practical terms, with clear links to life-cycle assessment (LCA), social cost-benefit analysis (MKBA), CO2 footprint, carbon sequestration, biobased materials and circular business models.
External costs
External costs are social costs that are not, or insufficiently, reflected in the market price, such as climate damage, health damage, water pollution, air pollution or biodiversity loss.
Definition
Because these costs are not borne by the party causing them, they distort the true cost of a product, service or choice to society.
Applied in practice
New Economy maps external costs within SCBAs by valuing them with a shadow price, making the full social account visible alongside direct costs and benefits.
Related terms
All terms, searchable
Search the register or browse by letter. Each article opens with the definition, followed by how it works, why it matters and how New Economy applies it, with related terms and source projects.
Index · 44 terms
B
Baseline Measurement
A baseline measurement maps CO₂ emissions or impact as the starting point for reduction targets. Method and practical examples.
Carbon and footprint
BECCS
combines bio-energy with carbon capture and storage, potentially achieving net CO₂ removal. and application.
Carbon and footprint
Biobased
materials are made from renewable resources instead of fossil ones. , carbon storage and application in construction.
Biobased
Broad Prosperity
places health, living environment and social cohesion alongside economic growth. Explanation and link to SCBA.
Climate and strategy
C
Carbon Sequestration
removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores it in soil, biomass, nature or materials. , methods and practical examples.
Carbon and footprint
Carbon Sequestration House
The Carbon Sequestration House applies Quality Function Deployment (House of Quality) to carbon removal and links ten methods to 26 policy objectives.
Carbon and footprint
CCS and CCU
CCS captures and stores CO₂. CCU captures CO₂ and uses it as a raw material. and application in industry and climate plans.
Carbon and footprint
CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal)
CDR actively removes CO₂ from the atmosphere through natural or technological methods. and application in carbon sequestration.
Carbon and footprint
Circular Economy
A circular economy retains the value of raw materials and materials through reuse, repair and recycling. Explanation, method and practical examples.
Climate Adaptation
adjusts areas, buildings and systems to heat, drought, flooding and sea-level rise. Explanation, method and practical examples.
CO₂ Footprint
A CO₂ footprint quantifies the greenhouse gas emissions of an organisation, product or chain per the GHG Protocol. and examples.
Carbon and footprint
CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)
The CSDDD requires human rights and environmental due diligence in the value chain, alongside the CSRD. Explanation and application.
Carbon and footprint
CSRD
The CSRD requires large companies to report on sustainability, including chain impact and CO₂ footprint. and application.
Carbon and footprint
D
Digital Product Passport
A Digital Product Passport contains data on materials, origin and circularity of a product, mandatory from 2027. Explanation and application.
Circular economy and design
Double Materiality
weighs impact on people and environment and financial effects on the organisation, required under the CSRD.
Carbon and footprint
Doughnut Economics
weighs basic social needs against planetary boundaries, complementary to an SCBA. Explanation and application.
Climate and strategy
Drawdown
ranks climate solutions by their contribution to the point where greenhouse gas concentrations start to decline. Explanation and application.
Climate and strategy
E
EPD (Environmental Product Declaration)
An EPD shows a product's environmental performance based on an LCA, following fixed European standards. Explanation and application.
Circular economy and design
External Costs
are social costs not reflected in market prices, such as climate and health damage. and application in SCBAs.
Climate and strategy
F
Food Strategy
A food strategy gives direction to a municipality or region's food system. and substantiation with impact analysis.
Food and environment
Food Waste
is food lost between production and the consumer. and application in food system analysis.
Food and environment
G
GHG Protocol
The GHG Protocol is the international standard for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions in scope 1, 2 and 3.
Carbon and footprint
Good Business
creates measurable value for people, nature and the economy, substantiated with data. Explanation and application.
Climate and strategy
L
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
An LCA maps the environmental impact of a product or material over its full life cycle. , method and practical examples.
Circular economy and design
Linked task (koppelopgave)
A linked task (koppelopgave) is a societal task at neighbourhood level deliberately tackled together with other tasks, so one intervention delivers multiple value.
M
N
NBS (Nature-Based Solutions)
NBS uses natural processes for water storage, carbon storage and cooling. and application in climate and nature policy.
Biodiversity
Neighbourhood Agenda (Buurtagenda)
The Neighbourhood Agenda is the participation instrument of the Transform approach: residents name needs and priorities for their neighbourhood, on the factual basis of the Neighbourhood Passport.
Neighbourhood Passport (Buurtpaspoort)
The Neighbourhood Passport is a data-driven neighbourhood scan from the Transform approach that shows on CBS data which transitions in a neighbourhood need attention.
Q
R
R-ladder (Waste Hierarchy)
The R-ladder ranks circular strategies from avoiding to recycling. Explanation of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Remanufacture and Recycle.
Circular economy and design
Regenerative
goes beyond less harm and aims for active restoration of natural and social systems. and application.
Regenerative Advisory
guides organisations from sustainable to regenerative, substantiated with impact data. Explanation and application.
Regenerative Design
lets products and buildings actively restore soil, biodiversity and community. Explanation and application.
S
SCBA (Social Cost-Benefit Analysis)
An SCBA (MKBA) weighs social costs and benefits, including effects without a market price. , shadow pricing and practical examples.
Climate and strategy
Science Based Target
A Science Based Target sets an emission reduction path aligned with the Paris Agreement. Explanation, scope 1-2-3 and application.
Climate and strategy
Scope 3
covers indirect chain emissions outside an organisation's own operations, often the largest emission category. and example.
Carbon and footprint
Shadow Price
A shadow price values effects without a market price, such as CO₂ or health. and application in social cost-benefit analysis.
Climate and strategy
Social Impact
is the measurable effect of an organisation or project on people and society. Explanation, method and practical examples.
Societal Impact Analysis (MIA)
The Societal Impact Analysis (MIA) quantifies in four steps the societal added value of linked tasks — related to the cost-benefit analysis, but lighter and focused on coherence.
T
True Price
A true price includes social costs and benefits alongside the market price. of true pricing and application in impact analysis.
Climate and strategy
Truly Circular Business
keeps materials in circulation at high value through the R-ladder, beyond recycling. Explanation and application.
Circular economy and design
Truly Sustainable Business
substantiates sustainability claims with data and steers toward net positive. Explanation and application.
Climate and strategy
U