Preventionstrategy
A prevention strategy is an evidence-based strategy that prevents social, ecological and economic damage before it occurs. Causes, avoided costs and preventive measures are translated into an executable route, with attention to target groups, incentives, public value and investment choices.
A prevention strategy shows which damage does not need to occur, which costs can be avoided and which measures create structural value. New Economy translates prevention into measures, costs, benefits, priorities and an implementation route, not as a policy slogan but as a concrete strategy.
The challenge
Many societal costs arise early in the system: through design choices, value-chain dependencies, price incentives, lack of access, unhealthy living environments, linear material use or delayed investment. Health damage is treated, waste is processed, poverty is softened, climate damage is repaired and material loss is compensated. This is often necessary, but rarely the most effective route.
Prevention changes the question. Not only how damage can be paid for or reduced, but which choices can prevent damage from arising in the first place.
What is a prevention strategy?
A prevention strategy examines where societal damage arises and which interventions can prevent that damage. Causes, target groups, costs, benefits and implementation options are connected. The scope is not limited to health or care; climate, food, materials, biodiversity, energy, social infrastructure, business models and public services can also be included.
The strategy maps the societal costs of unchanged policy, the causes or incentives behind those costs, possible preventive measures, priority target groups or value-chain steps, plausible costs and benefits, and the investments with the strongest preventive effect.
Prevention and resilience
A prevention strategy and a resilience strategy are connected, but start from different questions. Prevention avoids problems before problems arise. Resilience strengthens systems when disruption still occurs. Together, both form a basis for regenerative strategy: less damage at the front end and more carrying capacity in the system.
Prevention strategy
Main question: how can damage, failure or societal cost be prevented in advance? Focus on causes, incentives, design, behaviour, policy, investment and avoided costs.
Resilience strategy
Main question: how can an organisation, value chain or place continue to function under shocks? Focus on vulnerabilities, dependencies, buffers, scenarios and robust choices.
Relevant challenges
Health and food
Healthy food, access to meals, food security and social infrastructure can reduce later care costs, stress, loneliness and insecurity.
Climate and living environment
Heat stress, flooding, drought, poor air quality and biodiversity loss cause damage. Prevention deploys spatial, social and ecological measures before damage occurs.
Materials and waste
Waste prevention starts with design, procurement, material choice, lifetime extension, repair, reuse and value retention. The strategy shows which choices prevent material loss and environmental costs.
Energy and grid congestion
Prevention concerns peak load, inefficient use, unnecessary electrification and investments that later become restrictive. Demand reduction, flexibility and prioritisation become part of strategy.
Societal value and security
Many public costs are linked to social problems that can be reduced earlier: debt, isolation, unhealthy environments and limited access to services.
Business models and value chains
Businesses can prevent damage by redesigning products, chains and revenue models: lower material use, longer lifetimes, healthier products and circular services.
The approach in five steps
Product formats
Prevention scan
Compact analysis of damage, causes and first measures. Starting point for boards, management, policy programmes or social initiatives. Delivers a baseline scenario at outline level and top ten prevention opportunities.
Prevention strategy
Full strategy with system map, baseline scenario, intervention analysis, societal valuation, prioritisation, roadmap, investment agenda and implementation advice.
Prevention workshop
Interactive working session in which stakeholders explore causes and interventions. Suitable for coalitions, area processes, policy programmes and teams.
Light-touch social cost-benefit analysis
Societal valuation of measures with baseline scenario, effect framework, costs and benefits, shadow prices, ranges and sensitivity analysis.
Preventive business case
Combination of financial feasibility and societal value, with investment logic, cost structure, benefits, conditions and financing options.
Methodical building blocks
A prevention strategy can use problem analysis, baseline scenario, Theory of Change, systems thinking, effect chains, social cost-benefit analysis (MKBA), light-touch social cost-benefit analysis, shadow prices, eco-cost analysis, CO2 footprint, product footprint, health impact, social impact analysis, stakeholder analysis, scenario analysis, intervention analysis, business model redesign, regenerative design principles, sensitivity analysis and monitoring.
Transparency about sources and models
New Economy uses public standards, data sources and calculation models. Depending on the question, sources can include the GHG Protocol, public emission factors, RIVM, CBS and public valuation datasets, eco-cost analysis, Idemat, life-cycle assessment (LCA) data, Environmental Product Declarations, social cost-benefit analysis (MKBA) shadow prices and public health or policy data. Public source references, assumptions, calculation steps, model versions and ranges are made public where possible. Licensed source data, confidential client data and privacy-sensitive information are not republished.
Related services
Projects and insights
Frequently asked questions
A prevention strategy shows which social, ecological or economic damage can be prevented and which measures are needed.
Prevention focuses on avoiding damage before it occurs. Damage reduction focuses on limiting damage that is already occurring or can no longer be fully prevented.
A prevention strategy delivers insight into causes, a baseline scenario, preventive measures, societal benefits, avoided costs, priorities and an implementation route.
Yes. Preventive value can often be calculated indicatively with available data, shadow prices, light-touch social cost-benefit analysis, eco-cost analysis, CO₂ calculations, public sources and explicit assumptions.
Prevent costs at source
A prevention strategy shows which societal damage can be avoided and which measures add structural value.
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