ABSTRACT
As we saw in the previous chapter, the first claims for success of the program could be challenged by the possible presence of other factors, not related to PROPER, that could have been responsible for the observed reductions in emissions. Chapter 5 addressed this issue and studied the change in emissions before and after the program, using treatment and control groups of firms that did and did not participate in the program. The conclusion was that there was indeed a strong, positive response to PROPER, particularly among firms with poor environmental compliance histories. In this chapter, we take a further step and attempt to uncover some of the characteristics of those firms with better responsiveness to PROPER. More broadly, we seek to contribute to the understanding of environmental regulatory programs based on public provision of information.
