[greenyes] Voluntary Environmental Approaches of questionable effectiveness, says OECD

["Reindl, John" <Reindl@no.address>]

The OECD has published a new report, "Voluntary Approaches for Environmental
Policy: Effectiveness, Efficiency and Usage in Policy Mixes" which concludes
that the environmental effectiveness of voluntary approaches is often
questionable, and their economic efficiency is generally low. While
administrative and transaction costs vary greatly among voluntary
approaches, it is clear that if too few resources are spent in their
preparation, negotiation and enforcement, their environmental impacts are
likely to be modest. Combining a voluntary approach with a tax or a tradable
permit system can trigger quite significant additional administrative costs,
and the environmental integrity of the other instrument can be weakened.
The full publication can be purchased on OECD's web page at
http://oecdpublications.gfi-nb.com/cgi-bin/OECDBookShop.storefront/EN/produc
t/972003091E1.

John Reindl, Recycling Manager
Dane County, WI