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The purpose of this paper is to formulate an integrated product policy (IPP) framework for the Republic of Macedonia, taking into account unique circumstances faced by the country, particularly the mandatory transposition of European Union (EU) environmental legislation, limited country-specific data availability and the low level of environmental awareness.

The proposed IPP indicators at EU level and the available indicators in Macedonian conditions were used in order to create a composite IPP index as a method of measurement of the level of IPP implementation in the country. Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) are used as a policy decision approach for IPP. The purpose is to evaluate what decisions (taken now and in the future) would lead to the best possible level of IPP implementation. The approach applicability for long-term policy planning is demonstrated using a simple numerical example.

A stylized numerical example utilizing the composite IPP index and the MDP approach indicate that policy makers should focus not only on transposing the mandatory EU legislation related to IPP, but simultaneously work to raise public awareness of IPP and environmental issues, since this opens the door for more beneficial policy alternatives in the future. Considering the long-term consequences of actions taken in the present time should be an essential part of policy design, given the pervasive and long-term nature of the effects of IPP policy. It is also very important to revisit the assumptions at regular intervals and incorporate into this framework the new learning and data obtained with time.

This IPP framework and quantitative policy decision approach, in spite of its limitations, is a valuable and informative guide for IPP policy makers in the Republic of Macedonia. By incorporating a long-term view, explicit measurement of progress towards IPP implementation and the consideration of possible future consequences of policy decisions made in the present, it should be possible to significantly increase the likelihood of successful IPP implementation and improve environmental outcomes than those obtained using more conventional approaches.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Ecodesign Directive and the extent to which it provides a regulatory framework for life‐cycle assessment approaches which underlie integrated product policy (IPP), thus providing a horizontal approach to product legislation as a new approach to regulating pollution.

The paper draws on academic commentary as well as official papers, European communications and legislation.

The development and application of the Ecodesign Directive is highlighted along with the different regulatory approach it poses which is shown to result from the application of life‐cycle assessment and IPP.

The impact on the development of products will be extensive in that they will be required by mandatory rules to be designed with a view to the reduction of their whole life environmental impacts.

The approach is to highlight a new paradigm for regulating pollution and environmental impacts.

The purpose of this paper is to present four examples of stakeholder relationships related to issues of corporate environmental management (CEM) and analyze them based on the model of Mitchell et al. (1997).

Secondary data are used in the case studies.

The four cases presented show that basically any stakeholder can become definitive over time in the complex network of stakeholders with mutual relationships. The definitive stakeholders in CEM are no longer merely the NGOs and policymakers but now include many diverse groups such as customers, locals and suppliers.

These case studies cannot be generalized, but they could contribute to more comprehensive studies on stakeholder strategies in the future by raising up new CEM issues.

The paper indicates that stakeholder strategies need to be changed in corporations over time. Latent stakeholders can become expectant and definitive stakeholders gradually over time.

The paper presents and analyzes four different cases of corporation‐stakeholder relations in the field of corporate environmental management

The aim of this paper is to conceptualise a structural model of natural resource based green supply chain management (GSCM), and its relationship, with an indication of cause and effect, to relevant performance measures and drivers.

The literature, describing GSCM from a natural resource based view (NRBV), along with performance measures and institutional drivers, is critically evaluated and used to develop the model.

Constructs are identified in terms of intra‐ and inter‐organisational environmental practices, performance measures and institutional drivers. Causal relationships, within and between the constructs, are also proposed in the form of hypotheses.

At this stage the model is purely conceptual and the causal relationships are only proposed. Empirical tests of the model and hypotheses are required.

On empirical verification, this work can furnish managers with validated measurement scales to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in their GSCM implementation and determine how firms can successfully implement GSCM to promote sustainable industrial development.

GSCM from within the NRBV perspective, and incorporating performance measures and institutional drivers, has yet to be comprehensively synthesised in a coherent model. This conceptual work is the first step in that direction.

From a methodological point of view, life cycle costing (LCC) is well developed with respect to conventional costs. However, when it comes to costs related to environmental issues, neither the items nor their estimation have been well developed. This paper aims at investigating the possibilities of using life cycle assessment (LCA) results to identify and estimate environmental costs or benefits in an LCC.

The paper begins by looking at the driving forces for introducing environmental costs in companies, continues by identifying external and internal environmental cost issues, and concludes with an attempt to estimate the internal costs.

Some of the items of an LCC have to do with increased/decreased sales, others with good will. Both are difficult to estimate, but LCA or LCA‐like investigations may be helpful in identifying relevant issues. Future costs to the product system may also be estimated, for example, with a distance‐to‐target type of weighting. LCA may be helpful in roughly estimating risks, especially together with those LCA impact assessment methods that model damage. Such an item in LCC can be dealt with as an insurance fee or, if the risk is too high, as a way of including necessary preventive actions.

The literature on the subject is limited and not sufficient to aid in estimation of environmental costs and benefits for a company. It seems reasonable to begin an improvement of the methodology by looking at future costs and benefits.

This paper may help in structuring the task of using LCA information for estimating environmental costs in LCC.

There has been increased interest recently in the integration of LCA and LCC, such as in the SETAC (Society for Ecotoxicology and Chemistry) working group on LCC. This paper contributes with new outlooks and structures for that work.

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a need to widen stakeholder theory to include non‐human influences to better describe the complex corporate environment. Drawing from actor‐network theory, non‐human entities may “translate” new, unexpected stakeholders to support their aims.

The paper employs a theoretical conceptual approach with three illustrative examples.

The examples provided show that corporate crises result partly from previously unacknowledged non‐human spheres of influence and cause corporations serious losses. Corporations that take a proactive stance and monitor the weak signals of change are able to improve their standing and maintain legitimacy.

The framework created requires more testing with different examples across contexts and cultures. Future studies should examine the process of translation more deeply and examine who can potentially be translated into a stakeholder.

Corporate communication should play “the devil's advocate” on issues and analyze not only stakeholders, but also non‐human entities that may be able to translate others into joining their cause.

This paper broadens stakeholder theory to better describe the current corporate environment by highlighting the process of translation among stakeholders and non‐human entities.

Electroplated tin deposits are used as etch resists during the processing of printed circuit boards. The tin coating protects the copper tracks during etching but is subsequently removed (stripped) to expose the defined copper circuitry. The commonly used stripping solutions are based on nitric acid and after use they represent a very acidic waste product with a high metal content. The disposal of these spent strippers is typically via off‐site neutralisation and precipitation followed by subsequent landfill. This is clearly a non‐sustainable waste of valuable resources and a practice that is increasingly undesirable as environmental legislation becomes more stringent. This paper outlines the results of a scoping study carried out into current industry practices for tin stripping and details of components of a potential integrated treatment system for these stripping solutions. Individual technologies for such an integrated system incorporate the recovery of the tin oxide by filtration, the concentration and reuse of nitric acid solutions by diffusion dialysis and the reclamation of other metals, i.e. copper by electrowinning.

Given the complexity of green public procurement, decisions are likely to be driven by bounded rationality. However, we know little about what determines supplier selection criteria in any given situation. This study explores buyer behavior when considering environmental criteria. We first conducted interviews and identified 12 operational procedures used by buyers. We then developed a survey to explore the use of these procedures. Our quantitative analysis suggests that public buyers are motivated by their belief that they can make a difference. This is independent of buyers' experience or gender. However, their occupational position and the nature of a procurement seem to influence how buyers seek information about environmental criteria and which information source(s) they use. The data suggest that four specific decision-making heuristics are associated with the selected operational procedures.

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of connections between sustainability policy goals included in public procurement tenders and offers and their achievement through contract award.

Two hypotheses based on extant literature and the inducement–contribution theory were tested by means of a survey of 281 procurement files from 2007 to 2009 relating to eight product categories and four European Union (EU) member states. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings indicate that public procurement was more effective in influencing socially responsible goals than environmental goals. In terms of supplier readiness, vendors achieved greater progress in delivering green than socially responsible operations.

The collection and analysis of data are based on procurement files, which is a new but also a complex procedure. In comparison to survey data, the data from procurement file analysis are less biased.

Public procurement practitioners and sustainability policymakers should consider the use of public procurement as a lever to attain environmental and socially responsible goals.

Evidence has been provided to demonstrate the strategic use of public procurement impacts on environmental and socially responsible goals, thereby benefiting society.

This study contributes in three main ways: first, by adding to existing, limited research on the use of public procurement as a lever of policy goals attainment; second, by examining environmental and socially responsible policy in one study; and third, through providing evidence across EU member states.