World Bank Technical Paper No. 271. Documents the move to low-polluting practices by enterprises in response to the global problem of stratospheric ozone depletion. The continued expansion of industry, particularly in developing countries, m
Much is written in the popular literature about the current pace of technological change. But do we have enough scientific knowledge about the sources and management of innovation to properly inform policymaking in technology dependent domains such as energy and the environment? While it is agreed that technological change does not 'fall from heaven like autumn leaves,' the theory, data, and models are deficient. The specific mechanisms that govern the rate and direction of inventive activity, the drivers and scope for incremental improvements that occur during technology diffusion, and the spillover effects that cross-fertilize technological innovations remain poorly understood. In a work that will interest serious readers of history, policy, and economics, the editors and their distinguished contributors offer a unique, single volume overview of the theoretical and empirical work on technological change. Beginning with a survey of existing research, they provide analysis and case studies in contexts such as medicine, agriculture, and power generation, paying particular attention to what technological change means for efficiency, productivity, and reduced environmental impacts. The book includes a historical analysis of technological change, an examination of the overall direction of technological change, and general theories about the sources of change. The contributors empirically test hypotheses of induced innovation and theories of institutional innovation. They propose ways to model induced technological change and evaluate its impact, and they consider issues such as uncertainty in technology returns, technology crossover effects, and clustering. A copublication o Resources for the Future (RFF) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).
This work assesses the impact of environmental policy on technical change in the development of clean technologies. It focuses in particular on the possibility of inducing radical change in technology policy, in contrast to the current regulatory practices which lead to the modification of existing products.
Analyzes the international competitiveness of U.S. industries that are affected by environmental policies: (1) firms that develop & market environmental technologies & services; & (2) companies that must meet U.S. environmental requirements (especially manufacturing firms). Includes trends in the global environmental market, U.S. competitiveness in environmental technologies & services, environmental requirements, cleaner technology, compliance, regulations, incentives, & government support. Photos, figures & graphs.
Through a combination of global data analysis and focused country level analysis, this timely book provides answers to the most pertinent country and industry specific questions defining the current relationship between technology, natural resources and economic growth. Technology, Natural Resources and Economic Growth will provide a valuable resource for a wide readership including postgraduate students, researchers, academics and policy makers working in the fields of environmental and ecological economics.