A Classification of Instruments for Environmental Policy

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to develop a classification of the instruments for environmental policy. Of course the intention to classify instruments is not new and many attempts have been made already. In our view most of these previous attempts suffer from one or more of the following shortcomings:

• The instruments are classified according to one or a few differentiating characteristics, neglecting characteristics that the instruments have in common. As an example one can think of the omnipresent distinction made between ‘regulative’ and ‘financial’ or ‘economic’ instruments, that neglects the fact that almost all regulative instruments have financial or comparable elements (sanctions) and the fact that almost all financial instruments are formulated in terms of legal rules (Klok, 1991);

• The classifications concentrate on elaborate and more or less systematic schemes for more traditional instruments (like regulative and economic instruments), without developing a comparably systematic scheme for instruments that have come into discussion more recently (like different forms of communication, consensus building and institutional (re)arrangements);

• The classifications are more or less closed systems, that have considerable trouble incorporating new instruments that arise from the occasional shows of creativity on the part of political or scientific actors.