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An evaluation of recently introduced policy instruments is especially problematic, because only some effects have occurred and information on them is imperfect. However, policymakers and the public at large are particularly interested in the effects of these policy instruments.This paper examines the problems of evaluation of recently introduced policy instruments and the possibilities of using intervention theory in this context. Two case studies from the field of environmental policy instruments are used as examples. We argue that when evidence on the final outcomes is largely missing, the intervention theory can be a useful tool for indicating how recently introduced policy instruments are functioning.

As the focus of environmental policy and management is shifting from cleaner production at the process level towards greener products, there is a need for new kinds of policy instruments and initiatives. Environmental management systems (EMSs) and extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems are efforts to overcome the limitations of the traditional regulatory approach. In this paper, I illustrate how EMSs and EPR systems have influenced the emergence of greener products in three case companies. These case studies are complemented by results from a survey on design for the environment in the electrical and electronics industry. Both the case studies and the survey indicate that the linkage between EMSs and product development is weak or completely missing. Therefore, the mere existence of an EMS can hardly be used as a convincing indicator of the implementation of an environmentally friendly design process. The results regarding the EPR systems are more positive. Copyright