Green Technologies and Their Role for Sustainability - Essays on Environmental Innovation

Abstract

The present thesis consists of four empirical papers relating to the concept of environmental innovation. The papers analyze the role of institutions for the introduction of environmental innovation, and the effects of green technologies on carbon dioxide emissions, resource use, and distinctly the use of biomass and fossil resources. These empirical papers are embedded by an introduction that draws on insights from the natural sciences, innovation theory, as well as economic history and anthropology in order to provide a holistic perspective on the role of technology in the pursuit of sustainable development.