The Dynamics of Environmental

and Economic Systems

Valeria Costantini • Massimiliano Mazzanti

Editors

The Dynamics

of Environmental

and Economic Systems

Innovation, Environmental Policy

and Competitiveness

ISBN 978-94-007-5088-3 ISBN 978-94-007-5089-0 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5089-0

Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012944746

# Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

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To Anna Chiara and Jean Paul

There were days on the Atlantic Ocean when there was not a single cloud on the horizon and the sea and the sky were the same deep blue. On those days, a penetrating sun would light up the surging masses of water, the white crests of the waves would break into streaks of foam, the boat would roll on those huge mountains of water and a relentless wind would whip up dusty spray that created fleeting rainbows near the prow. Those were the kind of days that some people would give their life to experience, if only in a figurative sense. But these were also the days that most people probably would do anything to avoid, if only because they fear to die. Or to live.

(Personal translation from

Bjo¨rn Larsson “Dro¨mmar vid havet”, 2001, Norstedts Pocket (p. 1) (translation authorized by the author))

support given by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (Scientific Research Program of National Relevance 2007 on ‘European Union policies, economic and trade integration processes and WTO negotiations’) is also gratefully acknowledged. The ‘EMInInn—Environmental Macro Indicators of Innovation’ project (283002 FP7-ENV-2011-ECO-INNOVATION-OneStage) funded by the European Commission is also a precious source of financial support as well as a strong channel for enhancing linkages between European researchers.

Finally, a special thank goes to Susan Goodall, whose precious work in editing activities has been crucial for finalizing the book project.

Valeria Costantini and Massimiliano Mazzanti

7Eco-Activity and Innovativeness: What Is Their Relation to Environmental Performance in Consumer Firms

and Industrial Firms? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Nicoline Oehme and Rene´ Kemp

8 Environmental Policy and Induced Technological Change

in European Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Francesco Crespi

9 Closing the Gap? Dynamic Analyses of Emission Efficiency

and Sector Productivity in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Giovanni Marin

10 Waste Technological Dynamics and Policy Effects: Evidence

from OECD Patent Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Francesco Nicolli

11 BioPat: An Investigation Tool for Analysis of Industry Evolution, Technological Paths and Policy Impact in the Biofuels Sector . . . . 203 Valeria Costantini, Francesco Crespi, and Ylenia Curci

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227