Hardback
Environmental Research and Development
US Industrial Research, the Clean Air Act and Environmental Damage
9781843761679 Edward Elgar Publishing
John Scott develops, describes, and uses new primary data about US industrial firms’ research and development (R&D) investments to create innovative products and processes that provide goods and services without the by-product of pollution. New knowledge about environmental R&D is provided by original surveys of industry from 1993 and 2001. The R&D and other firm data are juxtaposed with US Census industry data and with US Environmental Protection Agency data about industrial toxic releases. This book presents hypothesis tests that provide evidence supporting the use of public policies – described in the book – to stimulate industry to use its creative powers to improve environmental performance.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
John Scott develops, describes, and uses new primary data about US industrial firms’ research and development (R&D) investments to create innovative products and processes that provide goods and services without the by-product of pollution. New knowledge about environmental R&D is provided by original surveys of industry from 1993 and 2001. The R&D and other firm data are juxtaposed with US Census industry data and with US Environmental Protection Agency data about industrial toxic releases. This book presents hypothesis tests that provide evidence supporting the use of public policies – described in the book – to stimulate industry to use its creative powers to improve environmental performance.
Economists and policy makers in the areas of industrial organization, technological change, the economics of R&D and the environment including policy toward R&D and technology; as well as corporate officers of R&D and environmental affairs will find this volume indispensable.
Economists and policy makers in the areas of industrial organization, technological change, the economics of R&D and the environment including policy toward R&D and technology; as well as corporate officers of R&D and environmental affairs will find this volume indispensable.
Critical Acclaim
‘The theoretical and econometrical works presented by the author really brings original and relevant insights on the determinants of environmental R&D and on the role of public regulation.’
– Vanessa Oltra, Journal of Evolutionary Economics
‘Scott’s study is significant . . . for anyone interested in a solid study examining the role of R&D investments and environmental quality, this is well worth the effort.’
– Deborah Lee, Business Information Alert
‘By looking carefully at environmental R&D in industry, John Scott focusses on one of the hard questions in environmental policy – how to shift private investment decisions towards outcomes that are more desirable from the perspective of promoting public goods, in this instance clean air. This is the analytic puzzle that stands at the heart of the challenge of sustainable development. The plausible conclusion is that the promotion of environmental R&D in industry may be one of the most promising avenues of public policy in support of sustainable development.’
– Konrad von Moltke, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Winnipeg, Canada
‘John Scott’s imaginative and well-written book makes an important contribution to both the industrial organization and environmental economics literatures. The book contains a nice theoretical development of the hypotheses to be tested, interesting empirical results with a unique data base, and important policy conclusions – in short, something for everyone.’
– Dennis C. Mueller, University of Vienna, Austria
‘It is by now well understood that new products and processes do not fall like manna from heaven, but are instead the results of purposive investments in innovation by profit-maximizing firms. Beginning from this premise, John T. Scott offers a careful analysis of data collected in an original survey about pollution-abatement-related research of R&D-intensive US firms. He provides evidence that policymakers, by changing the balance of private costs and benefits to R&D, can shift the direction of private spending on R&D to promote public goals such as a reduction of toxic substances in the atmosphere. This work will be of interest to students of public policy and of the environment. It should be of interest to policymakers as well.’
– Stephen Martin, Purdue University, US
‘This slender volume marshalls impressive new data to show that credible environmental regulation threats induce substantial corrective R&D from industry. It is “must” reading for environmental economics courses.’
– F.M. Scherer, Harvard University and Princeton University, US
‘In this book, John Scott offers a pioneering approach applying the tools of industrial organization to environmental policy. His lucid theoretical analysis combined with compelling econometric methods results in insights about the contribution made by industrial R&D in avoiding toxic releases and points to a previously unexplored set of instruments that could potentially be used for environmental policy. This book paves the way for a new generation of scholars and policy makers to provide new and novel solutions to environmental challenges by combining and integrating the tools and analyses of two previously unrelated fields, industrial organization and environmental economics.’
– David B. Audretsch, Indiana University, Bloomington, US and Otto Beisheim School WHU, Germany
– Vanessa Oltra, Journal of Evolutionary Economics
‘Scott’s study is significant . . . for anyone interested in a solid study examining the role of R&D investments and environmental quality, this is well worth the effort.’
– Deborah Lee, Business Information Alert
‘By looking carefully at environmental R&D in industry, John Scott focusses on one of the hard questions in environmental policy – how to shift private investment decisions towards outcomes that are more desirable from the perspective of promoting public goods, in this instance clean air. This is the analytic puzzle that stands at the heart of the challenge of sustainable development. The plausible conclusion is that the promotion of environmental R&D in industry may be one of the most promising avenues of public policy in support of sustainable development.’
– Konrad von Moltke, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Winnipeg, Canada
‘John Scott’s imaginative and well-written book makes an important contribution to both the industrial organization and environmental economics literatures. The book contains a nice theoretical development of the hypotheses to be tested, interesting empirical results with a unique data base, and important policy conclusions – in short, something for everyone.’
– Dennis C. Mueller, University of Vienna, Austria
‘It is by now well understood that new products and processes do not fall like manna from heaven, but are instead the results of purposive investments in innovation by profit-maximizing firms. Beginning from this premise, John T. Scott offers a careful analysis of data collected in an original survey about pollution-abatement-related research of R&D-intensive US firms. He provides evidence that policymakers, by changing the balance of private costs and benefits to R&D, can shift the direction of private spending on R&D to promote public goals such as a reduction of toxic substances in the atmosphere. This work will be of interest to students of public policy and of the environment. It should be of interest to policymakers as well.’
– Stephen Martin, Purdue University, US
‘This slender volume marshalls impressive new data to show that credible environmental regulation threats induce substantial corrective R&D from industry. It is “must” reading for environmental economics courses.’
– F.M. Scherer, Harvard University and Princeton University, US
‘In this book, John Scott offers a pioneering approach applying the tools of industrial organization to environmental policy. His lucid theoretical analysis combined with compelling econometric methods results in insights about the contribution made by industrial R&D in avoiding toxic releases and points to a previously unexplored set of instruments that could potentially be used for environmental policy. This book paves the way for a new generation of scholars and policy makers to provide new and novel solutions to environmental challenges by combining and integrating the tools and analyses of two previously unrelated fields, industrial organization and environmental economics.’
– David B. Audretsch, Indiana University, Bloomington, US and Otto Beisheim School WHU, Germany
Contents
Contents: Preface 1. A Lesson from History 2. Hazardous Industrial Chemicals 3. A Survey of Industry 4. The Industrial R&D Response 5. A Theoretical Model 6. The Hypothesis Tests 7. Cooperative R&D 8. Environmental R&D, Emissions, and Policy Glossary for Variables References Appendices Index
