Pioneer countries and the global diffusion of environmental innovationsTheses from the viewpoint of ecological modernisation theory 先锋国家与环境创新的全球扩散：生态现代化理论视角下的论文.pdfVIP

ARTICLE IN PRESS Global Environmental Change 18 (2008) 360– 367 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Global Environmental Change journal homepage: /locate/gloenvcha Pioneer countries and the global diffusion of environmental innovations: Theses from the viewpoint of ecological modernisation theory Joseph Huber Institute of Sociology, Martin Luther University, D-06099 Halle an der Saale, Germany a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: This article examines how individual pioneer countries contribute to the development and global Received 11 October 2007 diffusion of technological environmental innovations. Key components to this end are stringent Received in revised form regulation, pioneer companies, and pacesetting lead markets. However, uneven development hinders 24 February 2008 the adoption of environmental innovations by less developed countries. This paper examines the subject Accepted 23 March 2008 from the viewpoint of ecological modernisation theory. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Environmental innovation Eco-innovation Ecological modernisation Environmental regulation Lead markets 1. Introduction order to establish strategic priorities for environmental policies