ABSTRACT
The important role of technology as a solution to diverse environmental problems confronting economic actors has largely been subsumed in the general discourse of the costs of technological and economic development that contemporary environmental problems reflect. After a nation has achieved its industrialisation objectives, and is globally reckoned to be industrialised, environmental regulation becomes more scrutinised. Technology response for pollution abatement (TPA) falls into the traditional category of technologies usually referred to as end-of-pipe technologies. In contrast to TPA, technology response for pollution prevention (TPP) represents a more desirable approach that portrays technology as a solution to environmental problems. TPA is likely to be more prevalent in industries such as power generation and metal smelting where central inputs like ores and other raw materials, cannot be easily substituted. On the other hand, TPP may be less difficult to achieve in industries such as painting, cleaning or metal plating where input substitution is relatively less difficult.
