Environmental Regulation and Enterprise Innovation: A Review

The impact of environmental regulation on enterprise innovation is closely related to the competitiveness of the enterprise and sustainable development of the regional economy, but existing research does not provide a consistent view. This paper summarizes the impacts of environmental regulation on enterprise innovation from the perspectives of technological innovation, product innovation, system innovation and ecological innovation. We find that the impacts of environmental regulation on enterprise innovation behaviour are complex, and that the impacts can be reflected together by the four aspects above and even by their interaction. Moreover, the impacts are not limited to the creation of new technologies, products, and systems but also include their adoption and application. In particular, whether the Porter hypothesis is true and which versions of the Porter hypothesis environmental regulation causes in enterprise innovation depend on enterprise characteristics, means of environmental regulation, and enterprises' strategic behaviours in an enterprise ecosystem. Finally, we propose five potential research directions: quantifying the degree of enterprise innovation caused by environmental regulation, the impacts of environmental regulation on sustainable economic development from an enterprise ecosystem perspective, the impacts of enterprise innovation on environmental regulation, the role of enterprise initiative in the relationship between environmental regulation and enterprise innovation, and social security issues and the integration of eliminated enterprises resulting from environmental regulation.     

在华跨国公司的环境规制初探

随着中国加入WTO,跨国公司大举进入我国,不能否认他们对我国经济发展中的贡献,但在促进经济高速发展的同时却一定程度上给环境带来了消极影响。从环境规制内涵、在华跨国公司给中国环境带来的负面影响和对我国环境造成破坏的主要方式三方面阐释了对在华跨国公司进行环境规制的必要性。探讨了我国对跨国公司环境规制的现状及存在的问题,如跨国公司与规制者(政府官员)合谋,使得规制效率低下或无效等。在此基础上,提出了完善对在华跨国公司环境规制的建议。     

Chief executive officer attributes,sustainable performance,environmental performance,and environmental reporting: New insights from upper echelons perspective

This study examines the impact of chief executive officer (CEO) attributes on sustainable performance, environmental performance, and environmental reporting, which are motivated by institutionally driven environmental policies, regulations, and management in the context of Chinese listed firms. With the use of a comprehensive dataset of 2,854 Chinese listed firms over the 2010–2017 period (i.e., making over 16,000 individual firm‐year observations), our findings are fourfold. First, our overall findings reveal that CEOs with research background tend to engage more in activities that improve sustainable performance, environmental performance, and environmental reporting than do those without research background. Second, CEOs with financial expertise are positively linked with increased sustainable performance and environmental reporting. Third, CEOs with foreign exposure are more eager to engage in activities that enhance sustainable and environmental performance than do those without foreign exposure. Fourth, young CEOs tend to take actions that reduce both sustainable and environmental performance than do their older counterparts. We interpret our results within upper echelons theoretical perspective. The results are robust to alternative measures, potential endogeneities, and sample selection problems.     

企业环境成本核算的障碍与对策

工业经济快速发展造成了日益严重的环境问题。实施环境成本核算、采取措施控制环境成本对实现可持续发展是非常必要的。目前实施环境成本核算存在观念、制度和技术等方面的障碍。转变观念、强化企业社会责任教育、加强会计法制建设、完善市场调节等将对环境成本核算有积极促进意义。     

环境保护与企业可持续发展的互动研究

环境保护与企业可持续发展之间存在对立统一的辩证关系,环境保护是可持续发展的前提和必要条件,可持续发展又为环境保护提供了资金和技术支持.当前,社会上存在两者相冲突的现象,这源于企业自身责任感缺失、生产技术落后、管理缺位、某些政府部门监管不力及环保政策设计存在漏洞等多重原因.从环保角度来看,企业要实现可持续发展,除了企业自身的努力外,政府、司法机关应加大对企业的监管和服务,积极推广排污交易权制度,开征环境税.     

环境会计基础理论研究

本文认为,从会计的角度研究环境问题是可持续发展的要求。要使环境会计理论研究系统化,必须构建科学的环境会计理论框架。本文试图就环境会计基础理论的构成要素以及结构进行探讨,提出环境会计基础理论的构成要素及结构为:环境会计概念、环境会计本质、环境会计目标、环境会计假设、环境会计职能、环境会计核算原则。     

企业环境评价与监管研究——基于会计控制的视角

针对政府例外性环境规制所暴露出来的种种弊端,文章借鉴会计控制的切实性与基础性的优势,设计以生态权益、环境成本与资源损失为评价对象的环境评价指标体系,并据此建立相应的日常性监管体系。该体系主要达到两个方面的目的:一是将政府对企业的环境控制行为从基于环境事故的例外性规制转变为日常性的例行性环境控制;二是通过对环境评价的设计与监管措施的设置,促使企业建立自我环境规制的机制。     

Power of sustainable development: Does environmental management system certification affect a firm's access to finance?

Although prior research generated inconclusive findings between a firm's environmental management system and firm financial performance, attention to resolve this inconsistency by examining the internal channels is limited. Thus, this study focuses on a firm's access to finance and investigates whether a firm's environmental management system certification (EMS) leads to better access to finance. Based on the organizational legitimacy perspective, we hypothesize that this certification will benefit a firm with stakeholder approval and support and consequently alleviate its financial capital constraints. We further posit that the proposed relationship will be moderated by three types of legitimacy environments pertaining to how stakeholders and investors make the judgment on the environmental management system certification. We document that the proposed relationship, that is, the positive relationship between environmental management system certification and access to finance, will be stronger when the government attaches larger importance to environmental protection (regulative legitimacy), better environmental record (moral legitimacy), and better financial position (pragmatic legitimacy). Empirical analyses provide strong corroborating evidence for our predictions. These findings have important theoretical and managerial implications that are well discussed in this study.     

Can voluntary environmental regulation promote corporate technological innovation?

The impact of environmental regulation on technological innovation has been widely discussed in the academic circle. Based on the panel data of 403 Chinese manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2015, this paper explored the role of voluntary environmental regulation in technological innovation. The results showed the following: First, both voluntary environmental information disclosure and environmental management system certification had a positive effect on corporate innovation investment. Second, compared with the impact of environmental information disclosure, the impact of environmental management system certification on corporate innovation investment was more significant. Third, there was a significant positive interaction between environmental information disclosure and environmental management system certification. Finally, the effect of voluntary environmental regulation on corporate technological innovation in heavily polluting industries was stronger than that in lightly polluting industries.     

Disentangling economic crisis effects from environmental regulation effects: Implications for sustainable development

With climate change becoming more severe, policy makers must impose environmental regulations that will lead firms to adopt sustainable corporate models. According to the Porter hypothesis, environmental regulation can favour the implementation of business strategies that improve economic and environmental performances. In this study, we examine how one such form of regulation, the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), impacts firm performance, and we subsequently widen the examination beyond the regulation to evaluate an economic crisis which could potentially confound regulation effects. We estimate a panel model with time- and firm-fixed effects for different subsamples that disentangle the effect of the EU ETS policy from the 2008 economic crisis. The results indicate that the EU ETS policy in its third phase can activate the Porter hypothesis and is effective in fuelling the implementation of sustainable corporate models by firms. However, we also find that the economic crisis neutralises the effects of the regulation on firm performance, precluding the triggering of the Porter hypothesis in severely affected firms.     

How do environmental regulations influence resource misallocation in China? The role of investment flows

In recent years, the Chinese government has implemented numerous regulations to address environmental deterioration. Several studies have examined the effect of environmental regulation policies on China's economic performance. However, whether environmental regulations can alleviate China's resource misallocation problem—a critical issue in transitional economies—remains unclear. This study fills this gap in the literature by employing the difference-in-differences method to examine how environmental regulations affect resource misallocation. We found that stringent environmental regulations have reduced the extent of resource misallocation in China, with resource reallocation being the driving force behind this improvement. The emission reduction mandate reduces investment inflows and hinders firms' entry into regions with low total factor productivity, while directing the flow of resources to highly productive areas.     

城市总体规划环境影响评价研究

作为城市规划体系中的上层规划,城市总体规划对各类详细性规划有很强的指导作用,在其编制过程中纳入环境影响评价,将有助于从决策源头控制环境污染,减小生态破坏,降低环保成本,并最终促进城市的可持续发展。结合城市总体规划特点及环境影响评价要求,重点探讨了城市总体规划环境影响评价的介入时间、评价程序、工作重点及城市环境保护保障措施建设等,旨在促进城市规划领域环境影响评价的全面开展。     

Influences on Sustainable Innovation Adoption: Evidence from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

The adoption of innovations associated with environmental sustainability has been a topic of growing interest among scholars. The research presented in this paper draws on Abrahamson's theoretical framework of fads and fashions to argue that dimensions of uncertainty and degree of external versus internal influence provide significant insights into firms' decisions to adopt sustainable building innovations. We develop three hypotheses, reflecting three views of adoption influence: fad, fashion, and efficient‐choice. We find that adoption of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification in the United States was more likely among firms similarly oriented toward end‐consumers and among firms strategically positioned as environmental leaders. These results provide support for the fad and efficient‐choice views of adoption, respectively. Contrary to expectations suggested by the fashion perspective, adoption was not more likely among firms located in states whose political leaders are more committed to environmental protection. Our findings offer important implications for practitioners and policy makers seeking to encourage sustainable building design. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Making sustainable sourcing decisions: practical evidence from the automotive industry

Achieving environmental and sustainable performance within an organisation’s supply chain and manufacturing operations will be feasible if upstream supply partners have the same commitments in performing their operations in a sustainable manner. Given the debate above, we propose a comprehensive framework to address the sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSS&OA) problem. The framework developed is practical, that starts by using an audition check-list specific for each sustainability dimension (environmental, economic and social), from which the weighted values of its comprised criteria are obtained. The weighted scores of the selected sustainable suppliers are utilised by a proposed bi-objective order allocation model in order to make sourcing decisions. The strength of the proposed framework is its practical applicability to provide a solution for SSS&OA problems which is validated through a real-world application. Finally, research findings, theoretical and managerial insights and also directions for additional research are presented.     

The environmental challenge

We now come to the ultimate question of whether we should be optimistic or pessimistic about our environmental future, and indeed our survival. If we believe human beings to be rational and thus ultimately acting in their own self-interest, there is no reason to believe that the environmental challenges confronting us as individuals and as a society are not resolvable in a manner that allows both economic development and a reasonable quality of life for human beings. Indeed, we see, at least in the developed world, recognition of the magnitude of the problems that we face and movements toward solutions. Yet our nemesis is time. Irretrievable seconds are ticking away as we struggle against ignorance and economic self-interest. Our concern must be not whether we will act, but whether we will act in time to forestall environmental catastrophe for our civilization. The ultimate solution to our environmental problems must come from a fundamental change in the self-serving psychology that produced the tragedy of the commons. Self-interest must be sublimated not only to the greater needs of society, but to the needs of our posterity. The tragedy of the commons can only be avoided if our time horizon shifts from the short- to long-term. In addition, there must be a shift in values from obsession with economic development to concern for the quality of human life. These shifts dictate that in the future our economic, political, and social system must be built upon a foundation of "sustainable" growth. This means that "industries (and nations, for that matter) cannot thrive if they sacrifice future quality of life for present economic gain. In the long run, the principles of economic growth and environmental quality reinforce each other." How do we make this esoteric speculation relevant to our job each day as materiel managers in health care delivery organizations? We can do this by first understanding the problems that we confront and how we are a part of these problems. Next, we must assume a leadership role in confronting and resolving these problems. This means being an advocate for the environment and championing initiatives within the institution to resolve problems and advance environmental responsibility. Finally, we must remember that every day, with each purchase order we issue, we vote for or against the environment.     

基于环境保护的制造业管理及评价系统

积极应对地球环境问题和构建循环型经济社会是当今企业持续发展的必要条件之一。考虑到环境问题,对企业的产品开发和生产、物流等方面进行审查、评价的体系也是必要的。对于物流环节排放的二氧化碳和大气污染物,要从物流高效化的角度制定削减政策,对运输的效率化、模块的导入、环境低负荷的物流体系开发等进行评价。     

Sustainability and legitimacy theory: The case of sustainable social and environmental practices of small and medium-sized enterprises

The aim of this paper is to identify and gain insights into small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) rationales (why) for engaging in sustainable social and environmental practices (SEPs) that influence social and environmental policy and sustainability changes. Specifically, we depart from the predominately quantitative-orientated SEPs literature by conducting in-depth interviews and analysis of owners and managers of SMEs in the United Kingdom within a legitimacy theoretical framework. Our findings from a comprehensive number of interviewees show that SMEs employ a complex mix of both symbolic and substantive SEPs with the aim of enhancing the legitimacy and sustainability of their operations. The results emphasise the strengths of social engagement, reputation and image, environmental embeddedness, industry differentiation and education facilitators. In particular, the paper shows that legitimating strategies can have a dual purpose of being symbolic in nature but also inferring a substantive legitimacy claim. Evidence of SMEs maintaining their legitimacy position stretches further via either a moral and/or a pragmatic standpoint.     

Understanding environmental management practices: integrating views from strategic management and ecological economics

This paper proposes an integrating framework, based on theoretical concepts from the fields of strategic management and ecological economics, to enhance our understanding of environmental management practices (EMPs) and their relationship to sustainable competitive advantage. Starting with an expansion of the resource‐based view of the firm to include the natural environment, the article next engages the interdisciplinary field of ecological economics and its thermodynamic approach to ‘joint production’ to provide additional insights into the challenges and opportunities brought by a bio‐physically constrained economy. Informed by this understanding, the article then categorizes examples of EMPs drawn from the literature and discusses their potential impact on competitiveness. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for future research in the hope that the proposed framework will stimulate debate and lead to a fuller understanding of the impact of environmental management in the 21st century. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

企业环境风险管理与环境负债评估框架研究

随着环境污染问题的日趋加重,企业面临的环境风险也随之增大,并可能承担环境负债责任。基于企业环境风险管理的基本原理和技术,从企业环境全过程管理角度出发,结合环境风险评价方法和管理程序、环境损害总费用分析框架并设计企业环境负债评估与管理程序。具体步骤为环境风险点确定;环境风险初步评估分析;现场取样与测试;环境损害的货币化评估;环境义务清偿与损害恢复;可持续监控。该程序可为企业环境风险管理、环境负债防范提供一个科学有效的评估与控制框架。     

Postformation alliance capabilities and environmental innovation: The roles of environmental in-learning and relation-specific investments

This paper draws insights from the relational view perspective to examine the effects of two postformation alliance capabilities—interorganizational coordination and communication, and relation-specific investments on small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') environmental innovation. Analysis of time-lagged survey data from a sample of 223 SMEs from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shows a positive interactive effect of interorganizational coordination and communication on environmental innovation, and this relationship is mediated by environmental in-learning. The results further indicate that relation-specific investment moderates the indirect relationship between the complementary effect of interorganizational coordination and communication and environmental innovation. These findings extend the environmental innovation literature by exploring the interactive effect of interorganizational coordination and communication on environmental innovation.