Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Eco-innovation for environmental sustainability: concepts, progress and policies

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Economics and Economic Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There is increasing scientific evidence that natural systems are now at a level of stress globally that could have profound negative effects on human societies worldwide. In order to avoid these effects, one, or a number of technological transitions will need to take place through transforming processes of eco-innovation, which have complex political, institutional and cultural, in addition to technological and economic, dimensions. Measurement systems need to be devised that can assess to what extent eco-innovation is taking place. Environmental and eco-innovation have already led in a number of European countries to the establishment of substantial eco-industries, but, because of the general absence of environmental considerations in markets, these industries are very largely the result of environmental public policies, the nature and effectiveness of which have now been assessed through a number of reviews and case studies. The paper concludes that such policies will need to become much more stringent if eco-innovation is to drive an adequately far-reaching technological transition to resolve pressing environmental challenges. Crucial in the political economy of this change will be that eco-industries, supported by public opinion, are able to counter the resistance of established industries which will lose out from the transition, in a reformed global context where international treaties and co-operation prevent the relocation of environmentally destructive industries and encourage their transformation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. See the ETAP website at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/actionplan_en.htm.

  2. See http://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/brief/2007_04/index_en.htm#ecoinnovation.

  3. See http://www.oecd.org/document/48/0,3343,en_2649_34333_42430704_1_1_1_37465,00.html.

  4. See http://www.merit.unu.edu/MEI/.

  5. See http://www.proinno-europe.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=5&parentID=51.

  6. A more detailed list can be found in Annex 1 and Annex 7 of ‘The Environmental Goods and Services Industry: Manual for Data Collection and Analysis’ (OECD/ EUROSTAT, 1999).

  7. This is not necessarily the case, though. For example, reducing nitrogen oxides at the end of a smokestack or car exhaust produces the harmless substances nitrogen and oxygen, which are natural components of the air (although even then particles from the platinum catalyst from the vehicle’s catalytic converter may cause pollution).

References

  • Aghion P, Veugelers R, Serre C (2009a) Cold Start for the ‘Green innovation machine’, Bruegel Policy Contribution, Issue 2009/12, November, Bruegel, Brussels, http://www.bruegel.org/uploads/tx_btbbreugel/pc_climateparvcs_231109.pdf, accessed April 8 2010

  • Aghion P, Hemous D, Veugelers R (2009b) ‘No green growth without innovation’, Bruegel Policy Brief, Issue 2009/07, November, Bruegel, Brussels, http://www.bruegel.org/uploads/tx_btbbreugel/pb_climatervpa_231109_01.pdf, accessed April 8 2010

  • Anderson D (1999) Technical Progress and Pollution Abatement:—an economic view of selected technologies and practices, mimeo, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, June 1999

  • Anderson D et al (2001) Innovation and the environment: challenges & policy options for the UK. Imperial College Centre for Energy Policy and Technology & the Fabian Society, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashford NA (2005) Government and environmental innovation in Europe and North America. In: Weber M, Hemmelskamp J (eds) Towards environmental innovation systems. Springer, Berlin, pp 159–174

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Birkenfeld F, Gastl D, Heblich S, Maergoyz M, Mont O, Plepys A (2005) Product ban versus risk management by setting emission and technology requirements. The effect of different regulatory schemes taking the use of trichloroethylene in Sweden and Germany as an example. Universität Passau, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Diskussionsbeitrag Nr. V-37-05, October 2005

  • Bleischwitz R (2004) Governance of sustainable development: co-evolution of political and corporate strategies. Int J Sustain Dev 7(1):27–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bleischwitz R (2007) Corporate governance of sustainability: a co-evolutionary view on resource management. Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbon Trust (2002) Submission to energy white paper consultation process, Carbon Trust, London

  • CEC (Commission of the European Communities) (2007) ‘Report of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (2005–2006)’, Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, COM(2007) 162 final [SEC(2007) 413], May, CEC, Brussels. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0162:FIN:EN:PDF, accessed August 27 2009

  • EC (European Commission) (2006) ‘Eco-industry, its size, employment, perspectives and barriers to growth in an enlarged EU’, Final Report to DG Environment from Ernst & Young, European Commission, Brussels. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enveco/industry_employment/pdf/ecoindustry2006.pdf

  • EEA (European Environment Agency) (2006) Using the Market for Cost-Effective Environmental Policy: Market-based Instruments in Europe, EEA Report No.1/2006, EEA, Copenhagen

  • Ekins P (2010) (forthcoming) System innovation for environmental sustainability: concepts, policies and political economy. In: Bleischwitz R, Welfens P, Xiang Zhang Z (eds) 2010 (forthcoming) International Economics of Sustainable Growth and Resource Policy. Springer, Heidelberg

  • Ekins P, Venn A (2009) Assessing innovation dynamics induced by environmental policy. In: MacLeod M, Ekins P, Moran D, Vanner R (eds) 2009 Understanding the Costs of Environmental Regulation in Europe. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp 193–229

  • Elzenga H, Ros J (2004) MEI-Energie: RIVM’s energiebesparingsmodel (MEI Energy: RIVM’s energy savings model). Kwartaalschrift Economie 1(2):168–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Foxon T (2003) Inducing innovation for a low-carbon future: drivers, barriers and policies, a report for the Carbon Trust, July, Carbon Trust, London

  • Freeman C, Louça F (2001) As time goes by. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Geels F (2002a) Understanding the Dynamics of Technological Transitions, Twente University Press, Enschede NL, published in revised form as Geels 2005

  • Geels F (2002b) Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study. Res Policy 31:1257–1274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldenberg S (2009) Oil lobby to fund campaign against Obama’s climate change strategy, The Guardian, August 14, http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/14/us-lobbying

  • Harmon J (2000) Experience curves of photovoltaic technology. Interim Report IR-00-014, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg

  • Huppes G, Kleijn R, Huele R, Ekins P, Shaw B, Esders M, Schaltegger S (2008) Measuring eco-innovation: framework and typology of indicators based on causal chains. Final Report of the ECODRIVE Project, CML, University of Leiden. http://www.eco-innovation.eu/wiki/images/Ecodrive_final_report.pdf

  • IEA (2000) Experience curves for energy technology policy. International Energy Agency, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffe AB, Newell RG, Stavins RN (2002) Environmental policy and technological change. Environ Resour Econ 22:41–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jänicke M, Zieschank R (2010) (forthcoming) ETR and the environmental industry’, Ch.12 In: Ekins P, Speck S (eds) 2010 (forthcoming) Environmental Tax Reform: A Policy for Sustainable Economic Growth. Oxford University Press, Oxford

  • Johnstone N (2005) The innovation effects of environmental policy instruments. In: Horbach (ed, 2005), p 21–41

  • Jordan A, Wurzel R, Zito A (eds) (2003) ‘New’ instruments of environmental governance?: National experiences and prospects. Cass, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Junginger M (2005) Learning in renewable energy technology development. PhD Thesis, Utrecht University

  • Kemp R (1997) Environmental policy and technical change: a comparison of the technological impact of policy instruments. Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp R (2000) Technology and Environmental Policy: Innovation Effects of Past Policies and Suggestions for Improvement. In: OECD, Innovation and the Environment, Paris, p 35–61

  • Kemp R, Foxon T (2007) Typology of eco-innovation. Deliverable 2 of MEI project, April, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, available at http://www.merit.unu.edu/MEI/deliverables/MEI%20D2%20Typology%20of%20eco-innovation.pdf

  • Kemp R, Pearson P (2008) Policy brief about measuring eco-innovation. Deliverable 17 of MEI project, April, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, available at http://www.merit.unu.edu/MEI/deliverables/MEI%20D17%20Policy%20brief%20about%20measuring%20eco-innovation.pdf

  • Krozer Y (2002) Milieu en innovatie (Environment and innovation). PhD Thesis, Groningen University (http://irs.ub.rug.nl/ppn/241947103).

  • McDonald A, Schrattenholzer L (2001) Learning rates for energy technologies. Energy Policy 29:255–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Island, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Mokyr J (2002) The gifts of Athena: historical origins of the knowledge economy. Princeton University Press, Woodstock (GB)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nill J, Kemp R (2009) Evolutionary approaches for sustainable innovation policies: from niche to paradigm? Res Policy 38(4):668–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) (2007) Instrument mixes for environmental policy. OECD, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) (2008) Environmental policy, technological innovation and patents. OECD, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) (2009) Indicators of innovation and transfer in environmentally sound technologies. ENV/EPOC/WPNEP/(2009)FINAL, Environment Directorate/Environment Policy Committee, June, OECD, Paris, available at http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2009doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT0000300E/$FILE/JT03267148.PDF

  • OECD/ Eurostat (1999) The environmental goods & services industry, manual for data collection and analysis. OECD, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Oosterhuis F (Ed) (2006) Innovation dynamics induced by environmental policy. Final report to the European Commission DG Environment, IVM Report E-07/05, November, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enveco/others/index.htm#innodyn

  • Oosterhuis F, ten Brink P (2006) Assessing innovation dynamics induced by environment policy: findings from literature and analytical framework for the case studies, The Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM). Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Requate T (2005) Dynamic incentives by environmental policy instruments—a survey. Ecol Econ 54(2–3):175–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RIVM (2000) Techno 2000; Modellering van de daling van eenheidskosten van technologieën in de tijd. Rapportnummer 773008003, April, RIVM, Bilthoven

  • ten Brink P (ed) (2002) Voluntary environmental agreements: process, practice and future use. Greenleaf, Sheffield

    Google Scholar 

  • TME (1995) Technische vooruitgang en milieukosten, aanzet tot methodiekontwikkeling (Technological progress and environmental costs, initiative for methodological development), February, TME, The Hague

  • Touche Ross (1995) A cost-effectiveness study on the various measures that are likely to reduce pollutant emissions from road vehicles for the year 2010. Final report to the CEC, DG III, November

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK

    Paul Ekins

Authors
  1. Paul Ekins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Ekins.

Additional information

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank two anonymous referees for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ekins, P. Eco-innovation for environmental sustainability: concepts, progress and policies. Int Econ Econ Policy 7, 267–290 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10368-010-0162-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10368-010-0162-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation