Methodological Foundations of Defining Environmental Standards

In the following, “environmental standards ” will mean quantitative definitions of environmental quality targets. They are instruments for achieving these targets. Environmental quality targets are statements expressing normative concepts about the quality of the environment of human or other living beings. In a sense, environmental quality targets are a condensate of paradigms of environmental policy with respect to the demands on the environment(s) towards general goals in such areas as health, sustainability, system functionality etc.1 The issue of environmental standards can be approached with various interests in mind, which may be broadly classified as descriptive and prescriptive interests.