Employment impacts of cleaner production

Más información sobre el libro

This book addresses the under-researched topic of environmental innovations and their impact on employment at the firm level. While numerous studies have explored the relationship between general innovations and employment, few have focused specifically on environmentally beneficial innovations. It presents case studies and an in-depth analysis of over 1,500 firms that recently adopted environmental innovations across five European countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Data were collected through identical telephone interviews designed to examine the link between environmental innovation and employment. Using an econometric model, the authors identify factors leading to both positive and negative employment effects following environmental innovations. Notably, product and service innovations tend to create more jobs compared to process innovations. Employment changes are primarily linked to significant innovations, and those driven by environmental concerns often do not affect employment levels. Innovations aimed at cost reduction may lead to job losses, while those motivated by market share considerations can result in varied employment outcomes. The study also reveals a skill-biased technological change, where a higher share of qualified employees positively influences employment growth, although it does not significantly affect employment declines.