The Importance of Regulation-Induced Innovation for Sustainable Development
Name
Ashford-2010-The Importance of Re.pdf
Size
398 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
7956dd66ee43fe19b468a1aee6a462f3
Author(s)
Ashford, Nicholas A.
Hall, Ralph P.
Date Issued
January 2011
Journal
Sustainability
Publisher
MDPI AG
Citation
Ashford, Nicholas A., and Ralph P. Hall. “The Importance of Regulation-Induced Innovation for Sustainable Development.” Sustainability 3, no. 12 (January 19, 2011): 270–292.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
This article explores the complex relationship between environmental regulation, innovation, and sustainable development within the context of an increasingly globalizing economy. The economic development, environment, and employment aspects of sustainable development are emphasized. We contend that the most crucial problem in achieving sustainability is lock-in or path dependency due to (1) the failure to envision, design, and implement policies that achieve co-optimization, or the mutually reinforcing, of social goals, and (2) entrenched economic and political interests that gain from the present system and advancement of its current trends. The article argues that industrial policy, environmental law and policy, and trade initiatives must be ‘opened up’ by expanding the practice of multi-purpose policy design, and that these policies must be integrated as well. Sustainable development requires stimulating revolutionary technological innovation through environmental, health, safety, economic, and labor market regulation. Greater support for these changes must also be reinforced by ‘opening up the participatory and political space’ to enable new voices to contribute to integrated thinking and solutions.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Technology, Policy, and Industrial Development
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3390/su3010270
