ABSTRACT
The legal instrument is in a metaphorical way parallel to the technical tools that are geared to the practical aspects of the environmental problems. Environmental governance and regulation require knowledge and legitimacy, and in both these respects the compromise and control model faces problems in the field of environment. The introduction of the perspective of sustainable development thus has revolutionary consequences if it is taken seriously. The development was a process that focused on knowledge, awareness and social commitment and responsibility. The implications are that this development has made most theories of governance and regulation strategies outdated. An active state must also become better at creating smart regulation strategies and supporting structures in order to promote an industrial behaviour that is proactive in response to a demand. Environmental management systems have introduced a new paradigm of proactive and self-regulating industrial behaviour as regards environmental issues, particularly, concerning resource efficiency.
