Voluntary environmental agreements (VEAs) have been regarded as a key new instrument for meeting environmental objectives in a flexible manner. The aim of this book is to highlight and learn the lessons from existing experience.

In recent years, voluntary approaches to emission reductions have increasingly been adopted by major companies all over the world and have increasingly been supported by regulatory bodies and public administrations. Despite this world-wide effort to achieve a better environmental performance through voluntary approaches, economic analysis has somehow neglected the importance of voluntary approaches as an environmental policy instrument. This book is a first attempt to fill this gap by gathering together all major experts in the fields and by providing a detailed analysis of all main aspects characterising the design and implementation of voluntary approaches in environmental policy. The book, which is the outcome of cooperation between the École des Mines of Paris and the Fondazione ENI E. Mattei, within the EU Concerted Action on Market Based Policy Instruments for Environmental Protection, contains both theoretical analyses and case studies. The chapters of this book therefore provide a useful assessment of the main features and of the potential implementation problems of a new, important and promising environmental policy instrument.

An increase in the global demand for energy, combined with an increase in the price of energy and energy products, has advanced the growing interest in renewable energy technologies and the wide implementation of renewable energy sources (RES). Member States of the European Union have been global leaders in the use of renewable energy and in the transition to new technologies. Management of Civic Energy and the Green Transformation: A Case Study of Poland examines the current issues of transitioning from traditional energy sources to newer, renewable energy sources, while balancing supplies, and working synergistically with existing, conventional sources. Features: Offers a balanced blend of theory and practice of development economics for renewable energy implementation Presents a case study of how Poland is working towards their energy transition, and provides other examples and recent statistical data from other European Union countries Analyses the legal and systemic conditions supporting the development of renewable energy systems and offers direction on the potential for the green development of the civic energy sector

An examination of current environmental policy trends in the United States and the European Union and the implications for future transatlantic and global cooperation.