Introduction - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 8

want to minimize the expense of cleaning up. The industry employs more
than a million people, and spends $400 billion a year. The Confederation of
British Industry represents thousands of corporations, and the Australian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry represents 350,000 businesses.
Environmental and business interest groups are not mirror images of each
other. The former are more ideological, seeing environmental problems as
part of the general lack of response by government and political parties.
The latter has narrower goals, such as not having expenses increased due
to scrubbers on smokestacks. The goals of environmental groups may be
broad, such as interjecting their opinions on international treaties like the
North American Free Trade Agreement, to take a US example. In this case
the objective was to avoid having Mexico increase total air and water pollu-
tion in the world. Pollution was being exported to Mexico. The consequence
has been more conflict in making policy.
Political Parties: In most democracies environmental interests are rep-
resented by comprehensive political parties such as the Democrats in the
United States or Labour in Britain. In a few countries green parties have
emerged and become quite influential. For example, the German Green
Party is strong, with 55 seats in parliament and partnership with the ruling
coalition from 1998 to 2005. As part of a deal with the Socialists, the Greens
controlled three cabinet ministries: foreign affairs, the environment, and
food and consumer affairs. The party moved the government toward more
environmental protection and mandated an end to civilian nuclear power.
It vigorously supported the Kyoto Protocol. In Belgium and Denmark,
green parties have also been effective. In France the two different green
parties have won many seats in parliament but more recently hold only
four seats. In the United Kingdom, the green party has never won a seat in
the national Parliament, although it has won local offices. In the European
Parliament, the Green Group (i.e., party) won 59 seats, making it one of
the middle-sized groups. The United States found its own tiny Green Party
important in the 2000 presidential election, when Ralph Nader got the
nomination and polled 3% nationwide. In two states, Florida and New
Hampshire, his vote was greater than the margin of victory, causing many
observers to say the Green Party vote gave the election to George W. Bush
rather than to Al Gore.
A political party differs from an interest group in that its goal is to elect
its people to office, whereas interest groups want to promote their inter-
ests. A party will adopt policies in its platform in order to attract votes,
whereas an interest group does not seek votes. It wants to influence the