Business and Environmental Politics in Canada

Front Cover
University of Toronto Press, Jan 1, 2007 - Political Science - 224 pages
Business and Environmental Politics in Canada examines the way in which industries and firms work to influence the regulatory standards intended to improve their environmental performance. Filling an important gap in the environmental policy literature, this is the first book-length treatment of the subject in Canada. A review is provided of political action taken since the 1960s by the large firms which have found themselves at the centre of the hot-button issues of the day water pollution, refillable pop bottles, acid rain, chemicals, smog and climate change. Three questions focus the analysis. What determines the political objective of the regulated firm? What strategies do the large firms use to influence environmental policy? And, finally, how powerful is business in the arena of environmental politics to what extent is Canadian environmental policy shaped by business lobbying?

This book will be of interest to scholars, environmental professionals, and all those concerned about the degree to which environmental standards are determined by the regulated industries themselves.

 

Contents

Rationale
18
The Current State of Understanding
35
Business and Environment
57
Policy Evolution 19561980
74
PulpandPaper Industry Response to Initial Regulation
76
Summary
92
Policy Evolution 19801993
96
SoftDrink Industry Funding of BlueBox Programs
105
Policy Evolution 19932006
136
Greening the Corporate Image
148
Firms Surveyed 1997
152
The Oil and Gas Industry Fails to Prevent Kyoto Ratification
162
Summary View of Business Political Activity 19562006
173
Political Interest Sought
176
References
195
Additional Readings
213

The Chemical Industrys Search for Social Legitimacy
111
Hugs and SLAPP Suits
126

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About the author (2007)

Douglas MacDonald is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environment, University of Toronto.

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