Environmental Technologies and Eco-innovation in the Czech ...
Environmental Technologies and Eco-innovation in the Czech ... Environmental Technologies and Eco-innovation in the Czech ...
Although many environmental technologies have already been developed and successfully implemented, there is an immense need for innovative solutions (eco-innovations) and the current crisis expands it even further. The necessary interventions of states into economies can and should be structured in a way that is conductive to further development of environmental technologies and the whole sector of environmental products and services and that supports economic growth, including the creation of new jobs. 1.1 | Current environmental protection policies Environmental protection policy is the way that a subject treats and plans to treat (over a given period of time) the environment. The subjects of environmental policy can be supranational groups, individual states or their administrative units, municipalities, private entities (companies or associations of entrepreneurs), political parties and civic associations. Environmental policy at the national and supranational level involves – in addition to resolving environmental problems themselves – the way the state or group of states wants to contribute to the solution of global environmental problems. Environmental policy is laid out in a political document approved by a competent authority. The political document always contains an analysis of the development so far, the current state and expected outline. Based on the analysis, it determines priorities, quantifiable and non-quantifiable deadlines to reach them and a mix of tools 1 . An inseparable part of the political document is a mechanism for monitoring progress in reaching the policy’s goals and for providing potential updates. Wherever possible, the costs of reaching these goals are specified and possible funding sources are mentioned. 1.1.1 | The European Union environmental protection policy At the EU level, the main political document in the area of environmental policy is the Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European Community 2002–2012), approved by European Parliament and Council No 1600/2002 EC of 22 July 2002 for 1 a mix of tools – a complex and optimal set of tools to achieve a given objective (of the environmental policy) 10 | 11
the 2002–2012 period. In 2007, its validity was confirmed until 2012 based on its continuous assessment. The 6 th EAP lays out 4 key priorities in the areas of climate change; nature and biological diversity; environmental human health and quality of life; natural resources and waste. The strategic approaches to reaching the environmental goals of the 6 th EAP explicitly contain support for sustainable production and consumption patterns and improving cooperation and partnership between companies with the goal of focusing on sustainable production patterns. This mainly includes support of an integrated product policy that reflects environmental protection requirements throughout the entire life cycle of products, support of the expansion and utilization of environmentally friendly production processes (technologies) and products and the stimulation of product innovation from the perspective of their environmental impact. Among other steps, the goals and priority areas related to reducing climate change explicitly impacts the support for energy efficiency and the introduction of environmentally efficient methods and technologies in industrial production. A desirable effect that the implementation of the 6 th EAP has and that contributes to fulfilling the concept of sustainable development is the creation of new jobs – green jobs 2 . The mid-term review of the implementation of the 6 th EAP in 2007 showed that it contributed to the development of the environmental technology sector (eco-industry), which is responsible for 2.2% of the GDP in the EU and employs 3.4 million people. The integration of environmental concerns into corporate strategies fosters productivity and the innovation potential of companies and creates new market opportunities (e.g. green public procurement 3 ). Environmental protection also requires coordinated interdisciplinary research and development focusing on innovations, which was one of the main impulses for the creation of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The recommendations for the future of EU environmental policy imply: “The Commission and the member states need to continue supporting eco-innovations and environmental technologies because industry can substantially contribute to solving environmental problems. The tool will be a full implementation of the Environmental 2 green jobs – employment opportunities in the agriculture, industry, research and development, services and administration sectors that significantly contribute to the protection and restoration of the environment; in particular, they are jobs created in order to protect and rejuvenate eco-systems and biodiversity, to lower the consumption of energy, water and other resources by increasing efficiency and savings, to decrease the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, to prevent and to reduce all kinds of waste and pollution 3 green public procurement – environmentally friendly public procurement (governmental and public administration bodies preferably purchasing environmentally friendly products and services)
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Although many environmental technologies have already been developed <strong>and</strong><br />
successfully implemented, <strong>the</strong>re is an immense need for <strong>in</strong>novative solutions<br />
(eco-<strong><strong>in</strong>novation</strong>s) <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> current crisis exp<strong>and</strong>s it even fur<strong>the</strong>r. The necessary<br />
<strong>in</strong>terventions of states <strong>in</strong>to economies can <strong>and</strong> should be structured <strong>in</strong> a way that<br />
is conductive to fur<strong>the</strong>r development of environmental technologies <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole<br />
sector of environmental products <strong>and</strong> services <strong>and</strong> that supports economic growth,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> creation of new jobs.<br />
1.1 | Current environmental protection policies<br />
<strong>Environmental</strong> protection policy is <strong>the</strong> way that a subject treats <strong>and</strong> plans to<br />
treat (over a given period of time) <strong>the</strong> environment. The subjects of environmental<br />
policy can be supranational groups, <strong>in</strong>dividual states or <strong>the</strong>ir adm<strong>in</strong>istrative units,<br />
municipalities, private entities (companies or associations of entrepreneurs), political<br />
parties <strong>and</strong> civic associations.<br />
<strong>Environmental</strong> policy at <strong>the</strong> national <strong>and</strong> supranational level <strong>in</strong>volves – <strong>in</strong> addition<br />
to resolv<strong>in</strong>g environmental problems <strong>the</strong>mselves – <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong> state or group of states<br />
wants to contribute to <strong>the</strong> solution of global environmental problems.<br />
<strong>Environmental</strong> policy is laid out <strong>in</strong> a political document approved by a competent<br />
authority. The political document always conta<strong>in</strong>s an analysis of <strong>the</strong> development<br />
so far, <strong>the</strong> current state <strong>and</strong> expected outl<strong>in</strong>e. Based on <strong>the</strong> analysis, it determ<strong>in</strong>es<br />
priorities, quantifiable <strong>and</strong> non-quantifiable deadl<strong>in</strong>es to reach <strong>the</strong>m <strong>and</strong> a mix of<br />
tools 1 . An <strong>in</strong>separable part of <strong>the</strong> political document is a mechanism for monitor<strong>in</strong>g<br />
progress <strong>in</strong> reach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> policy’s goals <strong>and</strong> for provid<strong>in</strong>g potential updates. Wherever<br />
possible, <strong>the</strong> costs of reach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>se goals are specified <strong>and</strong> possible fund<strong>in</strong>g sources<br />
are mentioned.<br />
1.1.1 | The European Union environmental protection policy<br />
At <strong>the</strong> EU level, <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> political document <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> area of environmental policy is<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sixth Environment Action Programme of <strong>the</strong> European Community 2002–2012),<br />
approved by European Parliament <strong>and</strong> Council No 1600/2002 EC of 22 July 2002 for<br />
1 a mix of tools – a complex <strong>and</strong> optimal set of tools to achieve a given objective (of <strong>the</strong> environmental policy)<br />
10 | 11
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