Malia Kedjar (p)

Patricia Renou-Maissant

Since the 1990s, environmental issues have become a major concern for policy makers. To tackle climate change, the development of new technologies compatible with sustainability issues must play a key role. A specific feature of environmental innovation is that, in addition to generating knowledge spillover, it also generates environmental spillover. Rennings (2000) called this specificity of eco-innovation “the double externality problem” and pointed out that this problem diminishes the incentives of firms to innovate. The purpose of this article is to explore both determinants and productivity effects of environmental innovation using an extended CDM model (Crépon, Duguet and Mairesse, 1998). First, we distinguish two types of R&D: environmental and non-environmental. Second, we introduce environmental regulation variables at the firm level as drivers of environmental innovation. Combining both of patents data extracted from REGPAT and HAN OECD databases with financial firm data collected from DIANE database and the firm research and development (R&D) survey, the empirical analysis is carried out for an unbalanced panel of French firms over the period 2003–2015. Preliminary result show that private economic returns in terms of productivity are lower for environmental innovation than for non-environmental innovation. This validates the hypothesis according to which market incentives alone are not sufficient to allow the environmental innovation of firms to increase considerably. More efforts in terms of green promotion and environmental regulation are important for the flourishing of such innovations.

Eva Coll-Martinez (p), Malia Kedjar , Patricia Renou-Maissant (p)

Patricia Renou-Maissant

This paper analyses the spatial distribution and the location determinants of eco-innovative firms in France. The analysis is based on a dataset covering all French Provinces (départements) obtained after merging firm-level microdata on the location of new firms from DIANE Mercantil Register (Bureau van Dijk) and patent information from the REGPAT database for the period 2003 and 2015. This paper departs from previous contributions in two main ways. First, it introduces spatial econometrics techniques to capture any potential spatial spillovers arising from the location of these firms for the first time in this literature. And second, it focuses on the French case which is of special interest in view of relevance of regional eco-innovation policies and the fact that despite an important weight of Paris region, there is a relatively well-balanced territorial distribution of eco-innovative activity. We use Count Data Models (CDM) to show that location determinants may vary according to the intensity of previous eco-innovations, the technological composition of local stocks and that the characteristics of the regional innovation system play an important role for the location of eco-innovative firms. Moreover, when accounting for neighbouring effects, we find that previous eco-innovative firm entries in neighbouring regions positively influence the entry of new eco-innovative firms on the department of reference.

Jean Bonnet (p), Eva Coll-Martinez, François Raulin (p), Patricia Renou-Maissant

Patricia Renou-Maissant

Since the Brundtland report (1987) and the adoption of Agenda 21 at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, governments committed to developing strategies to achieve sustainable development. To address the challenges of the threat of ecosystems degradation and global warming, a radical technological transformation of the global energy system is required. The Agenda 21 adopted by the United Nations at the 1992 Earth Summit emphasizes the key role of territories and local authorities in implementing sustainable development. It suggests that strategies for action, "local agendas 21", be developed for this purpose by strongly involving residents, all local actors and businesses. A whole set of initiatives are emerging locally to respond to these new challenges.
In France, two mechanisms for promoting local sustainable development coexist (ADEME, 2018). Local Agenda 21 is a voluntary initiative initiated by the community. It is a participatory process for the inhabitants, which proposes a new mode of governance and animation of the territory. It results in a program of actions aimed at improving the inhabitants' quality of life, saving natural resources and enhancing the attractiveness of the area. The Territorial Energy Climate Plan (TECP) is a strategic planning and organization tool designed to support the community in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and in its adaptation to climatic changes. As part of its policy for sustainable development, the Normandy Region has set up a "Sustainable Territory 2030" program.
The paper proposes an evaluation framework for comparing sustainable development in Normandy at the intermunicipal level, taking into account six dimensions: environment and natural resources, energy transition, territories and sustainable mobility, economic dynamism, social cohesion and solidarity, and governance. Considering a wide range of variables, we build aggregate composite indices for each dimension of sustainable development (OECD, 2008, O’Connor et al., 2008, Mazziotta et Pareto, 2013, 2017). Then a cluster analysis is used to classify EPCI and to explore similarities and dissimilarities with respect to the six components of the sustainable development. Results make it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the territories as well as the the levers and obstacles to sustainable development. Spatial patterns may also eventually emerge. Finally, recommendations can be draw for local public policies.

Jean Bonnet, Eva Coll-Martinez (p), François Raulin, Patricia Renou-Maissant

Patricia Renou-Maissant

Since the Brundtland report (1987) and the adoption of Agenda 21 at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, governments committed to developing strategies to achieve sustainable development. To address the challenges of the threat of ecosystems degradation and global warming, a radical technological transformation of the global energy system is required. Therefore, governments need to encourage concerted and coordinated efforts to integrate global ecological concerns into local and national policies (United Nations, 2008, UNEP, 2014). A whole set of initiatives are emerging locally to respond to these new challenges.
In France, the Grenelle Acts I and II have given local authorities a major role in setting up the energy transition by extending their field expertise in the field of energy policy, by enabling them to develop actions in favour of energy management and to intervene in the field of the production of renewable energy sources. To carry out its missions, the region has the Regional Plan of Climate, Air and Energy (SRCAE), created by the law 2010-788 of July 12, 2010, called "Grenelle Act II". The SRCAE must define, from an inventory, objectives and orientations for the horizons of 2020 and 2050 (De Charentenay et al., 2012). Regional strategies are defined and implemented at the local level by the local authorities which are strongly mobilized. In addition to the environmental issue, the creation of new sustainable and territorialized energy sectors is likely to generate local jobs that cannot be relocated.
The paper proposes an evaluation framework for comparing sustainable development in France at the departmental level, taking into account six dimensions: environment and natural resources, energy transition, territories and sustainable mobility, economic dynamism, social cohesion and solidarity, and governance. Considering a wide range of variables, we build aggregate composite indices for each dimension of sustainable development (OECD, 2008, O’Connor et al., 2008, Mazziotta et Pareto, 2013, 2017). Then a cluster analysis is used to classify French departments and to explore similarities and dissimilarities with respect to the six components of the sustainable development. Results make it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the departments as well as the the levers and obstacles to sustainable development. Spatial patterns may also eventually emerge. Finally, recommendations can be draw for public policies.