European governance has witnessed dramatic changes in recent decades. By assessing the use of 'new' environmental policy instruments in European Union countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, this timely book analyses whether traditional forms of top-down government have given way to less hierarchical governance instruments, which rely strongly on societal self-steering and/or market forces. The authors provide important new theoretical insights as well as fresh empirical detail on why, and in what form, these instruments are being adopted within and across different levels of governance, along with analysis of the often-overlooked interactions between the instrument types.

Providing important new theoretical insights into the governance debate by combining institutionalist and policy learning/transfer approaches, this book will be invaluable for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The analytical insights as well as a thorough empirical assessment of the use of environmental policy instruments in practice will prove essential for environmental policy specialists/practitioners.

Contents:
Preface
Part I: Introduction
1. Environmental Policy: From Government to Governance?
Part II: Context
2. Governing by Policy Instruments: Theories and Analytical Concepts
3. Changing Institutional Contexts for the Use of Policy Instruments
Part III: Governing by New Instruments
4. Governing by Informational Means
5. Governing by Voluntary Means
6. Governing by Eco-taxes
7. Governing by Emissions Trading
Part IV: Emerging Patterns of Governing
8. Changing Patterns of Environmental Policy Instrument Use
9. Out with the 'Old' and in with the 'New'? Governing with Policy Instruments
Bibliography
Index