Capital Investment Selection given changing Environmental Regulation and changing Technology: A German-French comparative framework

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodological framework for analyzing why some industrial firms in Germany and in France exceed current environmental regulations in their capital investment selection. It offers the development of a causal chain of antecedents and consequences of such a decision based on a review of the literature on external and internal pressures, strategic positioning, and the role of corporate top management within these issues. The paper represents the basis for a structured analysis of best practices and may also be used by European policymakers for designing a more efficient and effective framework of environmental regulations.