ABSTRACT
This case study focuses on how co-regulation has been used to address the control of ozone-depleting substances in Western Australia, a problem that concerns small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) almost exclusively. It examines the environmental and policy context in which ozone co-regulation evolved, evaluates the outcome and explains its relative success, despite the fact that it had almost none of the classic attributes identified in the literature as necessary for such success. In seeking to provide practical guidance to those working in the industry, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Registration Board adopted an ozone code of practice specific to the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry. In the case of the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry, raising the standards of training, business practices and overall professionalism were the stated goals, not improvements in productivity and, with it, conventional economic gains. The refrigeration and air-conditioning industry's ozone strategy in Western Australia is more accurately described as co-regulation than self-regulation.
