Moreira, Paulo Jorge PiresCaetano, Fernando J. P.2017-12-292017-12-292017-11Moreira, Paulo Jorge Pires; Caetano, Fernando J. P. - Liquefied Natural Gas as an alternative fuel: a regional-level social cost-benefit appraisal. "Eastern european business and economics journal" [Em linha]. ISSN 2256-0521 (Print) 2256-0904 (Onlie). Vol. 3, nº 2 (2017), p. 122-1612256-0521 (Print)2256-0904 (Online)http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/6868The impact from traditional marine fuels has the potential of causing health and non-health damages and contributes to climate change. Here, the introduction of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as an energy end-use fuel for marine purposes is analysed. The aim of this study is to verify LNG’s policy implementation feasibility as a step-change for a low carbon perspective for shipping by means of developing a social cost-benefit analysis on a regional basis. Emissions from the Portuguese merchant fleet, weighted by their contribution to the National Inventory, were used to quantify and monetise climate, health and non-health externalities compared with benefits from LNG as a substitute fuel. Benefits from the policy implementation are those related to the reduction of external environmental, health and non-health impacts. Costs are those that nationals are willing to pay for. In this sense, to estimate the value of the atmospheric air - a non-market commodity - people were asked about the price they hypothetically are willing to pay by responding to a specific questionnaire. The present study, based on a social cost-benefit analysis, indicates that benefits are almost 8 times superior to the costs and is consistent with real world efficiency gains. Although it addresses Portuguese particularities, this methodology should be applied elsewhere.engEnvironmentalhealth and non-health impactsLiquefied Natural GasContingent valuationSocial cost-benefit analysisPortuguese merchant fleetjournal article