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Negotiated or voluntary agreements

Agreements between businesses that achieve higher than required environmental outcomes.

Negotiated or voluntary agreements can achieve higher commitment from the parties involved than an imposed requirement.

Businesses sometimes jointly agree action without legislation - usually to avoid the threat of legislation or regulation.

For example the motor industry has agreed with the European Union emission reduction targets, the chemical industry in the UK has committed to achieve certain environmental targets and there is a voluntary agreement on the use of pesticides.

Such agreements are called 'voluntary' or 'negotiated'. They cover action in pursuit of stated environmental objectives which goes beyond the requirements of the regulator or the law. The regulator may be involved in monitoring progress, especially if regulatory action will be taken if the voluntary agreement fails to deliver the required improvement.