Environmental Policy for Business

In the context of the worldwide concern with the sustainability of current forms of development, business managers are being required to engage with environmental policy more creatively than in the past. At the broadest level business managers are being advised to embrace regulation as a source of competitive advantage rather than viewing it simply as a compliance cost and administrative burden. Irrespective of whether managers accept that 'going beyond compliance' is a stimulus for innovation, business managers frequently face a policy environment in which choices need to be made over how policy agendas should be responded to. Contemporary policy approaches may mandate demonstration of best practice, without defining what constitutes best practice or utilize policy approaches that give the option of 'paying for pollution' or investing in clean technology. Frequently, the argument is made that there are reputational gains to being a first mover and putting the organization ahead of regulation but the implication can be considerable upfront investment for uncertain returns. Against this context, this book provides a guide for environmental managers within business and students aspiring to such roles as to how to respond to environment policy. As a guide to environmental policy for business managers, the book focuses on helping executives engage with policy administrators and turn policy compliance into a business advantage. It will explain how the scope and design of environmental policy has been changing and provide frameworks to evaluate policy initiatives. An in-depth look at what firms can do to pioneer and execute effective responses to the opportunities provided by the changing environmental policy arena will be undertaken.