Wiley

Public support schemes for electricity from renewable energy sources (RES‐E) are undergoing a period of change. Two interrelated processes can be discerned at both the EU and member state (MS) levels. On the one hand, the RES‐E Directive sets targets for consumption of renewable electricity for the year 2010 and opens the possibility that the European Commission sets a community support framework for RES‐E promotion in the future. On the other hand, different types of support scheme have been and are used by countries in order to promote the deployment of renewable electricity. A move from tendering/bidding systems and feed‐in tariffs to tradable green certificates can be observed in some MSs. This move may take place in the future in some other MSs while others will certainly continue to rely on their current scheme. This paper provides an overview and assessment of the instruments currently used to promote renewable electricity in Europe and considers some possible trends in the choice of support schemes in the future. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

This study analyzes the effect of pollution control on corporate financial performance in a transition economy. In particular, it assesses whether better pollution control, as measured by lower air pollutant emissions, improves or undermines financial success, as captured by accounting‐based measures of financial performance, e.g. profitability. For this assessment, this study analyzes the effect of air pollution control using a panel of Czech firms for the years 1996–1998. The analytical results indicate that better pollution control neither improves nor undermines financial success. These results provide no support for the hypothesis that pollution prevention, generated by improved production processes, led to lower costs, and thus, greater profitability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

In February 2001, the European Commission published its White Paper on a Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy. The publication launched a heated debate on principles, aims, instruments, implementation and management of future chemicals control in the European Communities. The White Paper came in the wake of massive criticism of current chemicals legislation. Various parties involved repeatedly expressed their concern about a tremendous lack of effectiveness. Furthermore, comparisons with other industrialized countries outside the EU indicated that the current regulatory framework actually discourages innovation in the European chemicals industry. This paper examines current European chemicals policy and main elements of the White Paper strategy with a special focus on the impact of chemicals regulation on innovation towards sustainability. The claim that chemicals regulation tends to block innovation is rejected for lack of conclusive proofs. In contrast, the paper reinforces the view that the White Paper strategy is an important step forward towards sustainability in the chemicals sector. However, with the aim to make it pay for companies to pursue environmentally orientated innovation strategies, supporting measures and instruments need to be developed further. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

This paper analyses specific aspects of the implementation of the second multi‐annual agreement for energy efficiency concluded in the Netherlands with various industrial sectors for the period 2002–2010. The agreement is a follow‐up on a previous negotiated agreement that was generally seen as successful. This successor aims at stretching the limits of feasible and reasonably cost‐effective improvements in energy efficiency. In order to achieve this, so‐called ‘expansion themes’ were included that typically urge communication and tuning between companies as they exceed the level of individual companies: sustainable products, sustainable industrial estates, sustainable transport and logistics and sustainable energy. While the potential benefits are very promising, the first years of implementation mostly taught lessons on the difficulties that have to be overcome in order to achieve these. This paper will discuss the emerging obstacles and positive experiences with the implementation of the expansion theme measures. Special attention will be given to the role of the ‘consultation groups’, which supervise the implementation of the sector agreements and consist of representatives of the relevant industry sector organization, government and an advisory agency. This follow‐up consultation after the agreement is concluded to play an important role in stimulating integration issues such as the coherence of the energy efficiency measures in the sector, the tuning with other environmental and energy policies of government and the mutual trust between the partners.

The paper is based on the official evaluation of this negotiated agreement by the authors, which was commissioned by the Dutch ministry for economic affairs. The results are not only informative on this particular negotiated agreement, but also provide lessons on the integration and communication aspects of this policy strategy in general. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.