Book Description

This impressive study compares the adoption of environmentally sound technology in industrial sectors in eight developing countries. In combining a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies on rich empirical data the authors open the technological change black box and are able to formulate clear conclusions on the drivers and barriers for technological change. A major contribution to better understanding and governing environmentally-sound technological change. Arthur P.J. Mol, Wageningen University, The Netherlands All theory is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green , says Goethe. This book is very green (that is empirical) about a green topic: the adoption of environmentally sound technologies in developing countries, using triangulation for assessing the factors behind such choices. A very nice study on an important topic. René Kemp, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, The Netherlands Industries located in developing countries have made major improvements in environmental performance since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992. More specifically, their record in reducing energy-use and water-pollutant intensities has been better than developed countries. This significant new book investigates what motivates industries in developing countries to adopt environmentally sound technology (EST) a subject about which very little is actually known. The authors present the findings of a United Nations study of the factors that determined EST adoption by 105 manufacturing plants in four different sectors within eight developing countries. They explore both factors internal to the plants as well as external factors including governments, markets and civil society. Environment and Industry in Developing Countries will be of great interest to development assistance agencies supporting programmes for industrial environmental management in developing countries, and also to graduate school programmes in economic development, technology management, as well as in international business.