Voluntary Environmental Agreements: Process, Practice and Future Use

Citation

ten Brink, P. (2002), "Voluntary Environmental Agreements: Process, Practice and Future Use", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 299-299. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2002.3.3.299.3

Voluntary environmental agreements (VEAs) – generally agreements between government and business – have been regarded by many as a key new instrument for meeting environmental objectives in a flexible manner. Their performance to date has, however, also led to considerable criticism, with several parties arguing that they are methods for avoiding real action that go beyond “business‐as‐usual”. Is either of these positions justified?

The aim of this book is to highlight and learn the lessons from existing experience, looking not just at results, but also at specific elements of agreements and also at the process of the agreement itself. Lessons are drawn from experience from across the world, covering the full range of environmental challenges, and from the perspective of key stakeholder groups. Importantly, the book also presents tools for assessing and improving existing agreements and includes recommendations and guidelines for future agreements in key areas such as climate change. It also deals at length with the problem of how such agreements might be used in developing and transitional economies.

To place an order for this title or to view the Prologue online, please visit the Greenleaf Web site at: http://www.greenleaf‐publishing.com/catalogue/volun.htm