Refinement of Production: Ecological Modernization Theory and the Chemical Industry

The theory of ecological modernization explains the forces, mechanisms and dynamics of environmental reform in modern society. Its value is illustrated in the ecological restructuring of the chemical industry on a national and global scale. Detailed studies on the paint industry, the plastic and polymer sector and the pesticide industry show how and to what extent the environment is becoming a crucial factor in the redesigning of the institutional order of society.