This book investigates whether emerging environmental policy instruments, such as eco-taxes and tradable permits, have effectively supplanted traditional command-and-control regulation. The authors, Anthony R. Zito, Andrew Jordan, and Rudiger K. W. Wurzel, utilize a comparative framework to analyze national experiences across various jurisdictions. By examining the implementation and efficacy of these tools, the text evaluates the shifting landscape of environmental governance and the practical limitations of non-regulatory approaches.

Experts identify this work as a significant contribution to the study of environmental policy evolution and the practical application of governance tools. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the comparative analysis, making it a useful resource for scholars and practitioners in the field of public policy.