The workshop convened experts and practitioners from governments, academia and the private sector to discuss ways forward for government action. The discussions notably focused on the economic effects of policy options, the optimal design of policy and further evidence needs, to provide concrete support for decision makers and build a future research agenda.

Session 1 presented new evidence on the cost of space debris and the value of space infrastructure. In recent years, the sustainable use of the space environment has received more attention from academia as well as industry and government stakeholders. Still, there is insufficient knowledge and awareness about the magnitude of the problem and how it can be translated into a language understandable to decision makers. The session was introduced by a keynote on the current and potential future state of the orbital environment, followed by selected findings from the OECD Project on the Economics of Space Sustainability, run jointly with NASA-funded research on the socio-economic cost of space debris.

Session 2 assessed the effects of policy options for space debris mitigation. Building on the discussions in Session 1, there is no longer a question of “if” further government action is necessary to mitigate space debris, but rather “how” it can be implemented to reach the desired environmental objectives while not curbing growth and innovation in the sector.

The session was introduced by a keynote on the observed impacts of environmental regulatory stringency on competitivity and innovation in the broader economy, followed by findings from the OECD Project on the Economics of Space Debris and NASA-funded research on the effects of different types of policy options to mitigate space debris.

The workshop ended with an expert panel discussion between operators and government agencies. Key questions addressed included:

• Which key aspects of policies and regulations do we need to “get right” (or not get wrong)?
• How can we define and track “successful” regulation and implementation?
• Who could be the biggest commercial winners and losers of a more stringent regulatory regime in the OECD area?
• Do we have enough governance structures (industry associations, coalition of countries, new global initiatives) at national and international levels to monitor and enforce space debris mitigation measures and what do they need to better function?