The intermediary role of an industry association in policy-making processes: the case of the Dutch paper and board industry

In the policy-making process concerning energy and environmental issues, cooperation between government and firms is a means to create a more efficient energy and environmental policy. Intermediary organizations can play an important role in this policy-making process. Aim of this study is to get insight into the role of one specific intermediary organization: the industry association. In this paper, we focus on the Dutch paper and board industry. Important policy themes for this industry are waste water, waste, and energy efficiency. We distinguished four types of governmental policy instruments: top-down regulation, interactive regulation, negative economic instruments, and positive economic instruments. We analyzed the role of the industry association in the policy-making process for all of these four instruments. The results clearly show different (relative) roles of the industry association in different steps of the policy-making processes and for different types of instruments.     

A review on political factors influencing public support for urban environmental policy

Environmental quality is important to urban residents’ physical, social and psychological well-being. Governments have been formulating and implementing policies to mitigate environmental deterioration in cities. To effectively implement policies and achieve policy goals, gaining sufficient public support is an essential prerequisite; the policies would be in ruins and the government may also suffer from setbacks in other policy areas in the absence of public support. Therefore, to understand what contributes to public support is a crucial task for policymakers. Though current literature on socio-demographic and attitudinal/psychological factors provides fruitful accounts for policy support, a comprehensive examination of political determinants has yet to be established. In response to this, this review paper explores political factors that influence level of policy support based on existing literature. An integrated framework is proposed to explain policy support for urban environmental policy. This paper also discusses the possible directions of future research.     

Why do firms engage in environmental management? An empirical study in China

There are increasing pressures being put on firms, from a number of different sources, such as governmental regulation, community participation and market demand, to engage firms in environmental initiatives. These factors play different roles at various development periods. Government regulation was the major pressure, initially. However, community participation and market demand have become more and more important. Thus a better understanding of the determinant factors that play a role in engaging firms to take environmental management initiatives may help policy makers develop more effective environmental policies. Using data collected from 89 firms in Wujin county of Jiangsu Province, China, this paper developed an index system to evaluate the corporate environmental management performance. Furthermore, we used econometric methodology to identify the main factors that probably shape corporate environmental management performance, including both external pressures and firm characteristics. The results showed that pressures from supply chain, customers, and communities played positive roles in engaging firms to improve environmental management performance. However, the pressure from the regulatory system did not implicate positive effect on environmental management performance when basic compliance is not an issue in the region anymore. The results also showed that firms with larger scale will be more active in engaging in environmental management initiatives. Finally, our results suggest that: (a) regulation's stimulation may be reduced as long as firms have complied with requirements of local environmental standards and other environmental laws; (b) policy makers should pay more attention to market and information instruments; (c) more financial and technical support should be provided to encourage small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve environmental performance.     

The changing winds of atmospheric environment policy

Atmospheric environmental policies have changed considerably over the last several decades. Clearly the relative importance of the various issues has changed over half a century, for example from smoke, sulphur dioxide and photochemical smog being the top priorities to greenhouse gases being the major priority.The traditional policy instrument to control emissions to the atmosphere has been command and control regulation. In many countries this was successful in reducing emissions from point sources, the first generation issues, and to a lesser extent, emissions from mobile and area sources, the second generation issues, although challenges remain in many jurisdictions. However once the simpler, easier, cheaper and obvious targets had been at least partially controlled this form of regulation became less effective. It has been complemented by other instruments including economic instruments, self-regulation, voluntarism and information instruments to address more complex issues including climate change, a third generation issue.Policy approaches to atmospheric environmental issues have become more complex. Policies that directly focus on atmospheric issues have been partially replaced by more integrated approaches that consider multimedia (water, land, etc.) and sustainability issues.Pressures from stakeholders for inclusion, greater transparency and better communication have grown and non-government stakeholders have become increasingly important participants in governance.The scale of the issues has evolved from a local to national, regional and global scales. Consequently the approaches to atmospheric environmental policy have also been amended. The international dimensions of atmospheric issues have grown in prominence and challenge governance and politics with pressures for international cooperation and harmonisation of policies. This is reducing the policy flexibility of national governments.Partially in response to these changes, to manage environmental risks and protect their brands, leaders in the corporate sector have generally found it beneficial to increase responsibility and accountability, including establishing corporate environmental policies, environmental management systems, risk management, sustainability reporting and other measures.This analysis clearly identifies that these changes are inter-related. Acting together they have transformed the way that atmospheric issues are governed in the last several decades in developed countries. Together they have led to governments in many developed countries vacating leadership roles and becoming increasingly managers of the policy process. As the leadership role of governments has been partially eroded, governments are more reliant on persuasion and diplomacy in their relations with stakeholders. As a consequence, governance arrangements have become more complex, multilevel and polycentric.     

Technology-based industrial environmental management: a case study of electroplating in Shenzhen,China

Severe industrial pollution has largely hindered the sustainable development of China. Taking Shenzhen’s electroplating industry as a case, this article investigates the current status of the industry and proposes a specialized policy framework to push its environmental innovation. There is a relatively complete environmental management system in Shenzhen’s government, but it does not work well when dealing with the electroplating industry, mainly because it lacks regulation aiming at production technology, which is the underlying decisive factor of the environmental performance of the industry. So, we first develop an evaluation criterion, which incorporates a technological index about whether enterprises engage identified obsolete technologies. With this evaluation criterion, enterprises are classified into “advanced” and “obsolete”. Then, we propose specific policy suggestions for different types of enterprises, including command and control mixed with economic tools, voluntary agreements, establishing electroplating parks, and improving current management system. Finally, we assess the impact of the policy proposal and prove it to be conducive to the sustainable development of the industry and conclude it from a more general perspective.     

Drivers,barriers and incentives to implementing environmental management systems in the food industry: A case of Lebanon

The shift in policy towards prevention and towards making producers responsible for the pollution they cause has lead corporations to limit environmental liabilities through the improvement of environmental performance. The implementation of an Environmental Management System integrates the precautionary and polluter pays principles into a firm's operations and demonstrates commitment to sustainable development. This research aims at assessing the factors influencing the implementation of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System in developing countries taking the Food Industry in Lebanon as a case example. For this purpose, primary data were collected using a field survey questionnaire that was administered to a representative sample of facilities. The results revealed that the food industry is generally more concerned with safety and quality issues rather than environmental issues. Following international food sector trend, improving environmental performance and enhancing company image are the most salient drivers to adopt ISO 14001. The lack of government support and stakeholder demand as well as the fact that ISO 14001 is not a legal requirement constitute the most salient factors hindering the adoption of the standard. Economical and organizational factors are the most significant incentives required to motivate the food industry to adopt ISO 14001. The industry is less likely to voluntarily consider adopting ISO 14001 before acquiring a quality management certification or until ISO 14001 certification gain more recognition in the international food sector. The study defines the foundations for developing strategies, policy reforms and incentive schemes to reduce the barriers of implementing ISO 14001.     

Industrial symbiosis and the policy instruments of sustainable consumption and production

Industrial symbioses (ISs) and eco-industrial parks (EIPs) are key concepts of industrial ecology (IE). The aim of ISs and EIPs is to minimise inefficient material and energy use by utilising local by-product and energy flows. Industrial symbioses tend to develop through spontaneous action of economic actors, for gaining of economic benefit, but these systems can be designed and promoted via policy instruments as well. A literature review showed that national programmes for eco-industrial parks can be found in different parts of the world. In the action programmes and other sustainable consumption and production (SCP) policy documents of the EU, on the other hand, industrial symbioses gain less recognition as a path to enhanced sustainable production. In this article, we consider this and also analyse how the evolution and environmental performance of an industrial symbiosis system centred on a Finnish pulp and paper mill have been affected by SCP policy instruments. With regard to the system forming the subject of the case study, and Finnish industrial systems in general, policy instruments have succeeded in reducing emissions but not in systematically encouraging operators toward symbiosis-like activities. All in all, few studies exist on the overall impact of policy instruments promoting design of eco-industrial parks. It is not self-evident that symbiosis-like production systems would be sustainable in every case, as the background assumptions for political promotion of EIPs suggest. We concluded that industrial symbioses should be analysed and developed on a life cycle basis, with documentation of the real environmental benefits due to efficient resource use and decreased emissions in comparison to standalone production. ISs can then bring eco-competitiveness to companies in relation to SCP tools, such as environmental permits, ecolabels, and future product regulation based on the Ecodesign Directive in Europe. Indirect encouragement of symbiosis through land-use regulation and planning, in such a way that material fluxes between companies are possible both in operations and in financial terms, may prove effective. The same holds for waste policies that encourage increased reuse of a company’s waste by other enterprises.     

Modelling individual preferences for environmental policy drivers: Empirical evidence of Italian lifestyle changes using a latent class approach

Degraded air quality severely affects the health of citizens worldwide. The design of effective policies requires exploring public preferences for environmental and air quality policy instruments. Within the EC-FP7 SEFIRA project, using a choice experiment that stresses the trade-offs between attributes, this study investigates public preferences for environmental policy drivers in Italy. The main objective is to investigate the role played by selected policy drivers in determining policy preferences, complemented by elasticity and willingness to pay estimations. Preference heterogeneity and the role of socio-economic and attitudinal variables are explored with a latent class model over 2400 respondents sampled across Italy. The results allow identifying the different role played by the policy drivers across the classes. It emerged that most of the respondents (43%) are particularly sensitive to the cost components (cost sensitive respondents). The remaining respondents instead show an important sensitivity towards personal engagement in term of changes in the mobility and eating habits (lifestyle-change sensitive respondents). However, while 29% of them perceive these habits’ changes as negatively impacting on the personal utility, the other 28% of respondents translate the potential changes in the habitual behaviour of driving and eating as environmental and health benefits. Based on the modelling results, potential policies are simulated reporting respondents’ reaction to selected scenarios. It shows the crucial role played by reduction of premature deaths due to atmospheric pollution and measure cost.     

环境规制影响资源型城市绿色全要素生产率的途径与政策建议

环境规制对资源型城市绿色全要素生产率是否具有推动作用,通过何种路径驱动以及是否存在城市类型异质性有待进一步理清。本文选取2004—2019年中国113座资源型城市的面板数据,利用非径向、非角度的SBM模型与GML指数对资源型城市绿色全要素生产率进行测算,随后通过构建多重中介效应模型实证检验了科技创新、外商直接投资和产业结构优化在环境规制影响绿色全要素生产率的传导机制及其在城市类型间的异质性。研究表明：（1）从全样本回归结果看,环境规制对资源型城市绿色全要素生产率的作用系数显著为正,产业结构优化和外商直接投资均发挥了显著的正向中介效应,而科技创新表现为间接抑制作用;在非资源型城市中,三类中介效应均不显著。（2）类型异质性检验显示,科技创新在成长型、成熟型城市中发挥了正向中介效应,在再生型城市中表现为间接抑制作用;外商直接投资在衰退型城市中的中介效应值为正,而在再生型城市中表现为负向中介效应;产业结构优化在成长型与成熟型城市中发挥了正向中介效应。（3）对比中介效应结果表明,全样本回归时,产业结构优化、外商直接投资和科技创新的中介效应梯次递减,产业结构优化的中介效应占比接近80%,环境规制的...     

Considering agro-ecosystems as ecological funds for collective design: New perspectives for environmental policy

Enhancing agro-ecosystem sustainability raises difficult challenges for environmental policy: it requires both increasing knowledge on these complex systems to design effective solutions and coordinating stakeholders with diverging interests. However, most existing environmental policies consider ecosystems’ desirable properties as given, leading ecosystem managers to favor “turnkey” solutions. How could public policy better support local collective initiatives aiming at reconciling agriculture and the environment? This paper presents an empirical case study from western France, in which a partnership between an agricultural cooperative and an ecological research center resulted in a collective design initiative. We conceptually model this initiative drawing upon recent design theories and Georgescu-Roegen’s ‘fund-flow’ model, defining ‘ecological funds’ as the starting point of a collective design process. The results highlight the importance of developing policy instruments that can better support local innovation processes through greater democratization. Adopting a design approach to sustainable agricultural landscape management could be particularly fruitful in situations where collective action is necessary but where there is no common good recognized as such, and no existing community identified.     

雾霾污染的空间外溢与治理政策的检验分析

以2006~2016年城市层面数据为样本,结合空间扩散效应深入探究雾霾污染的影响机理,并对已出台治霾政策的治理效果和传导机制进行识别.研究发现：考察期内我国雾霾污染具有一定时滞性、空间相关性和时空“警示作用”;以往环境规制由于诱发污染产业地区间就近转移对减霾贡献并未达到预期效果.“大气十条”的治霾效果明显,到2016年该政策的实施使重点关注的三大经济带PM_2.5显著降低约7.1%,其中,中部和东部区域政策实施城市治理效果最为显著;政策实施以来各地区环保部门通过对重污染企业的限产整治取得了降霾的短期治理效果,但对重污染企业的创新激励传导作用并不显著.因此,未来雾霾治理政策更需注重如何通过激发企业绿色技术创新从而建立根治雾霾污染的长效机制.     

Policy and operational constraints for the implementation of cleaner production in Zambia

This paper reports the findings of a study conducted to identify the appropriate policy strategies for cleaner production in Zambia. Through direct consultation with industry and other stakeholders, it was observed that the major constraints that hindered implementation of cleaner production in the industry were financial problems, poor/weak enforcement of environmental laws, lack of knowledge, lack of awareness and lack of technical competence. Similarly, potential motivators for cleaner production in industry were identified and included the macro-economic climate, economic reforms and policies, economic incentives, regulation and environmental leadership. In conclusion, the low levels of cleaner production adoption were mainly due to the lack of environmental standards in some industries, low levels of cleaner production awareness, limited understanding of commercial and economic benefits of utilisation of cleaner production approaches, inadequate institutional arrangements for the promotion and implementation of cleaner production and the lacklustre enforcement of existing environmental laws.     

A framework on interactions of climate and energy policy instruments

In this paper we analyze the concept of interactions between policy instruments addressing environmental, energy and climate change issues. Although discussion on such policies has been taking place for almost two decades, their interactions are not so sufficiently explored. Initially, we refer to literature on various types of interactions and we classify them. Furthermore, we construct a qualitative method that can assist policymakers in selecting an optimal policy mix. This method breaks down into numerous components, the areas where different policies interact, and facilitates the unveiling of potential overlaps and complementarities. These areas consist of categories as measure identification, objectives, scope, market arrangements, market flexibility, financing, technological parameters, timing, compliance parameters and institutional setup. In addition, it renders the possibility of combining different options and design elements of policies. Furthermore, a list of various criteria serves as an assessment tool for interactions, where a weighing factor and uncertainty parameters have been added, in order to produce an aggregate indicator of the ex-ante analysis of the policy mix selected. Through this method, we present a complete framework of discernment of diverse forms of environmental policy instruments.     

Nutrient emission models in environmental policy evaluation at different scales—experience from the Netherlands

A nutrient emission modelling system, called STONE, has been developed for the Netherlands. The approach of STONE and its use in evaluating environmental policies in the Netherlands are discussed. This specific approach is then compared with that of other nutrient emission modelling systems. Emphasis is put on both the scientific–technical aspects and on the applications in quantifying environmental effects of policy interventions at different scales. Results from STONE show, for example, the areas in the Netherlands where maximally acceptable nitrate concentrations in groundwater may be exceeded in the future, the effectiveness of implemented or intended policy measures on nutrient emissions, and the advantage of its mechanistic, spatially distributed approach. Such a detailed modelling approach is shown to be required to take into account the strong and complex interacting effects of, e.g. nutrient supply, groundwater level and management on nutrient emissions.     

环境规制的蓝色红利效应研究

利用中国工业企业数据库2004~2009年制造业企业数据,以清洁生产目录标准的政策实施为外生冲击事件,基于倍差估计法（DID）实证检验了环境规制对企业盈利能力、盈利质量、波特效应和管理创新成本等蓝色红利的影响.结果发现：环境规制显著提升了制造企业的利润率和企业的现金流充裕性,改善了企业的盈利能力和盈利质量;环境规制显著降低了企业管理创新成本,但波特效应不显著.环境规制的蓝色红利效应存在地方策略互动、企业规模和所有制的异质性：地方政府之间的策略性不合作抑制了环境规制蓝色红利效应.企业规模的扩大提高了管理创新成本,但强化其他相关的蓝色红利效应.环境规制对国有企业的利润率、现金流以及全要素生产率的改善作用强于非国有企业,但更有助于降低非国有企业的管理创新成本.     

Network management and environmental effectiveness: the management of end-of-life vehicles in the United Kingdom and in Sweden

The principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) has been a policy paradigm behind the development of waste policies in the European Union including the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC). This study compares and explains the environmental effectiveness of the ELV programmes in the United Kingdom and in Sweden between 1990 and 2005, using a framework that integrates the Dutch approach to policy network analysis (PNA) with a theory-based evaluation (TBE). It finds that: (1) the perception of the producers towards EPR can be influenced largely by their social interaction with other actors, (2) the announcement of policies, and (3) the cohesion of policy instruments are key factors affecting the effectiveness of the programmes. As the latter two depend on the determination and comprehension of national governments, the transposition of the EU EPR Directives might not automatically lead to effective implementation and intended outcomes unless the Member States adhere to the principle and the development of its intervention theory.     

环境污染责任保险地方试点政策创新与实践研究

本文在环境污染责任保险试点调研和数据分析的基础上,总结了近年来环境污染责任保险政策的实践发展趋势,发现环境污染责任保险政策具有趋于强制、投保范围明确且趋同、产品性价比提升、保险市场受政策影响波动大的显著特点,地方试点实践中面临缺少环境风险定价方案、事故预防难开展、政府部门权责不清及数据信息共享缺乏的现实困境;同时在分析环境污染责任保险贵州新一轮试点对环境污染责任保险试点困境的实践突破基础上,总结统一条款、统一风险定价、统一投承保平台的"贵州模式"。基于以上分析本文提出如下建议:进一步明确环境污染责任保险强制的上位法依据,建立全国统一的环境污染强制责任保险管理制度;根据环境风险形成全过程理论,采用"两步走"方式,平衡科学性与成本关系,建立保前风险评估—保后隐患排查标准体系;建立国家—省级—地市多层级多主体环境污染责任保险治理信息化平台。     

Evidence,politics and power in public policy for the environment

Despite a recent emphasis on ‘evidence based policy’ accompanied by an abundance of ‘green’ policy instruments, experience from the European Union and OECD countries shows that decisions which truly aim to balance environmental considerations with social and economic ones remain thin on the ground. Moreover, many policies seem to fall short of, or directly contradict what the available ‘evidence’ suggests is required. This is a synthesis paper bringing together literature from the fields of political science, geography, sociology and science and technology studies to outline some of the obscurities relating to the use of scientific evidence in environmental decision-making. In this paper, we suggest that an exploration of three key inter-related issues is necessary to develop a richer understanding of why evidence and policy interact as they do. These are the nature of evidence itself; the normative, moral or ethical ‘politics’ of policy-making; and the operation of power in the policy process. Our primary goal is to bring various literatures together to better conceptualise the evidence–policy relationship. In so doing, we outline specific challenges for knowledge producers who set research priorities, and design and direct research projects. We also highlight significant implications for policy decision-making processes.     

Promoting pro-environmental behaviour: existing evidence and policy implications

This paper describes a recent study in the UK aimed at identifying how policy makers might more effectively encourage pro-environmental behaviours amongst their target audiences. The study included analysis and synthesis of theories and models of behaviour change, a range of current policy programmes and instruments and ‘real world’ practices of individuals, households, groups and organisations.The paper highlights some important considerations for future policy within the UK and, more widely, for other countries aiming to introduce comprehensive and multi-level policy programmes to encourage pro-environmental behaviours. To this end, it emphasises the complex and non-linear nature of environmental behaviours and, thus, the importance of adopting multi-levelled and multi-instrument integrated policies across whole systems of delivery.     

排污权交易指标关联要素探讨

目前,排污权有偿使用和交易作为各地环保工作体制、机制创新的热点,是利用经济手段促进环境保护的有益尝试。本文从指标来源、指标使用期限、与污染减排的关系、技术支撑以及指标交易后续监管五个方面分析了排污权交易指标关联要素,得出交易指标与国家政策、污染减排以及环境监管密切相关的结论,从完善国家政策、强化与污染减排衔接和突出指标后续监管三个方面提出了相应的对策建议。