Clean technology development in Germany: A promising route for environmental protection

In the long run the coexistence of a sufficient standard of living and a balanced environment will be determined to a large extent by the possibility of decoupling economic development from increased environmental pollution. The most effective method of environmental protection is obviously to fight pollution at source through the application of intelligent or clean technologies and/or holistic approaches to design, production and recycling. In the Federal Republic of Germany the development of environmental technology is a task of prime public interest. As part of a wider programme of environmental protection state support is seen as particularly necessary in areas where market forces alone are not sufficient to trigger or accelerate the development of more sophisticated clean technologies. This paper examines these support mechanisms and presents two case studies where support for technology development has facilitated improvements in both economic and environmental performance.