Environmental regulation and innovation driving
ecological design in the UK automotive industry

Smith, M; Crotty, J

Abstract

The theory of ecological modernization asserts that economic and environmental goals can
be integrated within a framework of industrial modernity. Its central tenet is that environmental
regulation can stimulate the application of ‘clean’ technologies or techniques.
Ecological modernization also contends that environmental regulation can offer business
benefits from innovation through improved product design and economic performance.
The EU End of Life Vehicles Directive (ELVD) reflects many of these principles, as it compels
all car manufacturers to ‘take back’ and dismantle vehicles at the end of their useful lives
and to remove the hazardous substances from the production process. Each component
will then be either reused or recycled. The legislation forces designers to introduce ‘clean
design’ and ‘design for disassembly’ practices. In light of this, we examine the impact of
the directive on UK automotive component manufacturers. We find limited evidence that
the EU ELVD Directive has driven product innovation beyond short-term, incremental technological
trajectories. We therefore conclude that a more radical approach, in line with the
‘dematerialization’ thesis by Dobers and Wolff (1999), is needed to generate more radical,
ecologi cal design solutions within the UK automotive industry. Copyright © 2006 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Citation

ecological design in the UK automotive industry. Business Strategy and the Environment, 17, https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.550

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Dec 7, 2011
• Journal: Business Strategy and the Environment
• Print ISSN: 0964-4733
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.550
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bse.550