Environmental territorial management: a new approach for industrial clusters

The paper deals with the relationship between industrial policies and environmental policies in territorial clusters of companies, and proposes an innovative approach for decision-making. In the third millennium, the European SMEs operating in industrial clusters are increasingly tackling the effects of the globalisation process that is affecting their competitiveness and their capability to achieve economic performances; this challenge, together with the increasing attention towards environmental protection, is stimulating the need for new territorial planning and managerial tools. Until today, environmental public policies, be them based on a command and control approach or on more participative methods (e.g.: Local Agenda 21 processes), have not been able to integrate local development policies with stronger sustainability-oriented and environmental concerns. This paper describes an approach aimed at applying to industrial clusters some innovative tools that are typical of the environmental policy area, making them an effective and useful opportunity for SMEs and local communities to pursue sustainability objectives. In particular, the described approach encompasses the implementation of some methodological “steps” foreseen by the EMAS Regulation at the cluster level, through the following activities: • Set up of a Promotion Committee that coordinates the environmental management initiatives of the different local actors and drives all the environmental planning actions at the cluster level; • carrying out a “Cluster Environmental Review”, to identify and assess the most relevant environmental aspects of the cluster • definition, by the Promotion Committee, of a Cluster Environmental Policy • drafting of a Cluster Environmental Programme • promotion and carrying out of specific initiatives addressed to local actors (SMEs, service providers, Local Authorities, etc.) aimed at pursuing the environmental objectives set in the Programme. This approach was experimented in a EU-funded Life - Project, carried out between November 2003 and May 2006 and focused on the Paper-producing industrial cluster of Lucca, whose results are detailed in the paper.