This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Steelman, T. A. Articles by Rivera, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Voluntary Environmental Programs in the United States

Whose Interests are Served?

North Carolina State University

Jorge Rivera

The George Washington University

The appeal of voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) lies in their promise to mutually serve government, industry, and environmental interests because they can reduce administrative burdens, provide flexibility to decide how to implement environmental improvements, and work toward superior environmental performance. In practice, however, one interest may be served to the exclusion of others, and this is a charge that often has been leveled at VEPs in the United States. If VEPs are used to serve some interests at the expense of others, they are likely to lose their value as alternative policy instruments. This article details a framework involving procedural, substantive, and practical tests to determine whether the common interest has been served. This assessment framework is applied to two different VEPs in the United States: the Forest Stewardship Council Certification and the Sustainable Slopes Program.

Key Words: voluntary environmental programs • common interest • alternative regulatory instruments • Forest Stewardship Council • Sustainable Slopes Program

Organization & Environment, Vol. 19, No. 4, 505-526 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1086026606296393


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S.-G. Moon and P. deLeon Contexts and Corporate Voluntary Environmental Behaviors: Examining the EPA's Green Lights Voluntary Program Organization Environment, December 1, 2007; 20(4): 480 - 496. [Abstract] [PDF]