The two distinct approaches to environmental policy include direct regulation-sometimes called 'command and control' policies-and regulation by economic, or market-based incentives. This book is the first to compare the costs and outcomes of these approaches by examining realworld applications. In a unique format, paired case studies from the United States and Europe contrast direct regulation on one side of the Atlantic with an incentivebased policy on the other. For example, Germany‘s direct regulation of SO2 emissions is compared with an incentive approach in the U.S. Direct regulation of water pollution via the U.S. Clean Water Act is contrasted with Hollands incentive-based fee system. Additional studies contrast solutions for eliminating leaded gasoline and reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, CFCs, and chlorinated solvents. The cases presented in Choosing Environmental Policy were selected to allow the sharpest, most direct comparisons of direct regulation and incentive-based strategies. In practice, environmental policy is often a mix of both types of instruments. This innovative investigation will interest scholars, students, and policymakers who want more precise information as to what kind of 'blend' will yield the most effective policy. Are incentive instruments more efficient than regulatory ones? Do regulatory policies necessarily have higher administrative costs? Are incentive policies more difficult to monitor? Are firms more likely to oppose market-based instruments or traditional regulation? These are some of the important questions the authors address, often with surprising results.

. . . a text detailing several recent, state-of-the-art choice experiment studies in European Union countries is valuable for illustrating the usefulness of the method for informing environmental policy. . . Birol and Koundouri have admirably compiled an array of case studies that provide relevant information for European environmental, agricultural, natural resource management and food policy, and that also offer a number of advances in the application and analysis of the CEM. The text is suitable for academics and graduate students with an interest in current applications of stated preference methods and for policy-makers interested in understanding people s preferences for environmental quality. . . Bethany Cooper, Australasian Journal of Environmental Management This volume provides an assessment of the literature on environmental valuation in Europe. It outlines some of the key environmental policy issues facing European Union countries and provides information on preferences and values associated with policy options. It also provides a set of state of the art examples of preference elicitation and analysis. This volume will be of interest to a variety of audiences. The book provides insights that will be useful to policy makers interested in understanding the public s preferences for environmental quality and it will be useful to academics and graduate students interested in cutting edge applications of stated preference methods. Wictor Adamowicz, University of Alberta, Canada This innovative book is a compilation of state-of-the-art choice experiment studies undertaken in several European Union (EU) countries, including Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. The case studies presented concern a variety of environmental, agricultural and natural resource issues such as the management of water resources, forests and agricultural landscapes; conservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage; noise pollution reduction and food labeling. The book highlights how the choice experiment method can be employed to inform efficient and effective design and implementation of various EU level agricultural and environmental policies and directives, including the Common Agricultural Policy, Water Framework Directive, Forestry Strategy, Habitats Directive and food labeling systems. This book will be of great interest to researchers working in the fields of environmental, natural resource and agricultural economics. Academics and graduate students worldwide, as well as applied economists working in international and national organizations, would benefit from the cutting edge choice experiment applications presented in this book. International and national policy makers will also benefit from the information on the use and usefulness of the choice experiment method in informing efficient and effective environmental, agricultural and natural resource management policy making.

Prior to the Nixon administration, environmental policy in the United States was rudimentary at best. Since then, it has evolved into one of the primary concerns of governmental policy from the federal to the local level. As scientific expertise on the environment rapidly developed, Americans became more aware of the growing environmental crisis that surrounded them. Practical solutions for mitigating various aspects of the crisis - air pollution, water pollution, chemical waste dumping, strip mining, and later global warming - became politically popular, and the government responded by gradually erecting a vast regulatory apparatus to address the issue. Today, politicians regard environmental policy as one of the most pressing issues they face. The Obama administration has identified the renewable energy sector as a key driver of economic growth, and Congress is in the process of passing a bill to reduce global warming that will be one of the most important environmental policy acts in decades. The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Environmental Policy will be a state-of-the-art work on all aspects of environmental policy in America. Over the past half century, America has been the world's leading emitter of global warming gases. However, environmental policy is not simply a national issue. It is a global issue, and the explosive growth of Asian countries like China and India mean that policy will have to be coordinated at the international level. The book will therefore focus not only on the U.S., but on the increasing importance of global policies and issues on American regulatory efforts. This is a topic that will only grow in importance in the coming years, and this will serve as an authoritative guide to any scholar interested in the issue.

Available this summer in its Eighth Edition, RosenbaumÆs classic, comprehensive text once more provides definitive coverage of environmental politics and policy, lively case material, and a balanced assessment of current environmental issues. Notable revisions include: * A completely revamped energy chapter covering conventional energy policy as well as a comparative examination of alternatives to current energy production. ò Expanded discussion of current U.S. climate change policy with attention to the role of the states, the impact of global environmental politics, and emerging technologies on policy alternatives. ò Analysis of the Obama administrationÆs energy agenda and its profound differences from Bush administration policies and the practical difficulties of creating an effective political coalition in support of the new policy agenda. ò Greater emphasis on executive-congressional relations in the policy-making cycle. ò Examination of changes in the environmental movement, with particular attention to newly emerging cleavages over energy and climate issues. ò A thorough updating of all policy chapters, including an examination of such topics as ômountain top removal,ö the emergence of Bisphenol A as an endocrine disruptor issue, and the ônew NIMBYism.ö New and revised tables, figures, and other data illustrate key environmental information while a new, detailed timeline frames the initial chapterÆs historical narrative of evolving environmental policy.

Environmental values and concerns are meant to be reflected through environmental policy, which is then integrated into mainstream economic and social policy that serves to govern society and the economy in different sectors. Yet effective environmental policy integration has proved to be very difficult in practice and it remains largely an elusive aspiration. This groundbreaking volume presents the first ever detailed examination of EPI at the national policy level, focusing on the key sectors of energy and agriculture within Sweden, a country that is widely recognized as a front runner in environmental management. The authors deconstruct EPI, look at what it means in policy formation and examine how environmental priorities are treated in relation to other political priorities. The final section of the book lays out the major findings and presents key lessons for international application, including institutional recommendations on how to enhance the potential for EPI. Most fundamentally, the book answers the questions of what works for EPI, why it works, and how it can be achieved in practice across sectors. The result is a rich and indispensable guide for all those involved in environmental and sustainable development policy issues.

For more than twenty years, Environmental Policy and Politics has kept instructors and students abreast of the challenges presented by contemporary environmental, energy, and natural resource problems in the United States. Now in its eighth edition, Michael E. Kraft has updated his definitive text to capture the changing nature of environmental problems as well as policy proposals made through 2020. Drawing from work within environmental science, policy analysis, and political science, this text continues to help readers think critically about how best to address problems through a variety of public policy tools and strategies at all levels of government. Important updates to this new edition include: • The latest information about environmental challenges and governmental responses to them, with extensive citation of key sources and websites. • Key political and policy decisions through late 2020, including presidential appointments, budgetary decisions, major legislative initiatives, and congressional actions. • New learning objectives to facilitate student understanding of key concepts and their applications, arguments advanced over environmental challenges and policies, and the goals and methods of environmental policy analysis. • Coverage of new topics that have emerged during the Trump presidency, including the Clean Power Plan repeal and reduction of environmental regulation, climate change, land conservation, changes in natural resources policies, and a comparison of the Republican and Democratic positions on climate change in 2020. • Updated summaries of scientific studies, government reports, and policy analyses. • Revised discussion questions and new suggested readings. Environmental Policy and Politics is an essential resource for upper level undergraduate and graduate students in political science and environmental studies looking for an accessible, well-researched, and up-to-date text, written with style and flair.

As the world's biggest polluter, the environmental challenges that China faces in controlling its airborne emissions are crucial, not only to its own population in terms of tackling the severe domestic air pollution, but also to the planet as it faces calls from the international community to accept its responsibilities in cutting greenhouse gases. Deteriorating air quality clearly shows that China’s current environmental regime is unsuited to either tackle the rampant domestic air pollution or contribute fairly to international climate action. As such, this book explores the feasibility of applying a national emissions trading system to control multiple air pollutants in China. It begins with an outline of the existing emissions management system and goes onto explore whether a national emissions trading system is a viable choice to combat China’s conventional air pollutants. To this end, there is an in-depth analysis of the two pilot sulphur dioxide emissions trading programs in Taiyuan and Jiangsu, as well as an examination of emissions trading schemes in the US and EU. Finally, the book discusses the key design elements of a multi-pollutant cap-and-trade scheme that addresses both conventional air pollutants and greenhouse gasses. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars interested in the fields of environmental studies, Chinese politics and environmental law. It will also be invaluable to policy makers in the field.

Eco-labelling programmes have been in existence for many years but their recent growth now extends to many products and services. The academic literature has grown in response and there have been several theoretical and empirical advances. This volume presents the best of previously published research on the design and effects of eco-labelling programmes. Whilst concentrating on the economic literature, the articles also approach the topic from a psychological, sociological and political point of view. Part One focuses on a range of theoretical developments, Part Two on empirical measurements of the effectiveness of eco-labelling, Part Three on the factors that influence the success and design of eco-labelling programmes and Part Four on the effects of eco-labelling on international trade and development.

In this innovative book, Arild Vatn presents an overview of the field of environmental governance, from its theoretical foundations, to the major issues and practical applications. While having an interdisciplinary orientation, the main theoretical basis is in institutional theory. The book spans issues from the global to the local level and puts environmental governance within the wider field of economic policy and development. This book is perfect for interdisciplinary masters programs in environmental studies, environmental policy and management, as well as being of value to practitioners in the field.

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