Patents and P2: Innovation and Technology Adoption for Environmental Improvements

In this paper, we identify factors that influence adoption of two types of environmental innovations, environmental patents and pollution prevention (P2) activities, and then measure the resulting influence of each on the pollution profile of the firm. We find that environmental patenting is most st...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental & resource economics 2023-02, Vol.84 (2), p.439-474
Main Authors: Brouhle, Keith, Graham, Brad, Harrington, Donna Ramirez
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulation
Adoption of innovations
Chemical spills
Climate change
Economic Policy
Economics
Economics and Finance
Environmental Economics
Environmental effects
Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice
Environmental Management
Environmental regulations
Innovations
Knowledge
Long term
Patenting
Pollution
Pollution abatement
Pollution control
Pollution prevention
Prevention
R&D
Research & development
Research & development expenditures
Technological change
Technology
Technology adoption
Technology utilization
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Summary:In this paper, we identify factors that influence adoption of two types of environmental innovations, environmental patents and pollution prevention (P2) activities, and then measure the resulting influence of each on the pollution profile of the firm. We find that environmental patenting is most strongly driven by the technological capacity of the firm, including prior environmental patenting and prior P2 adoptions. While P2 activities are also influenced by prior adoptions of P2, other factors play an important role, including environmental innovation opportunities, the regulatory environment, and firm-specific characteristics. In terms of environmental outcomes, we find that both environmental technologies reduce pollution. Due to strong knowledge accumulation effects of environmental patents, the long-term impact of an environmental patent is stronger and longer lasting than the long-term impact of a P2 practice.
ISSN:0924-6460
1573-1502
DOI:10.1007/s10640-022-00729-3