In order to use natural resources more efficiently in the future and to minimize environmental pollution, far-reaching new technological developments, as well as product, operational and organizational innovations have in part become compulsory. Against this background, the question arised as to how environmental policy can support such innovational activities. The research and development project maked the following contributions: (1) an overview of the most important instruments for the promotion of environmental innovations in Germany, (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of those instruments, including a gap and deficiency analysis, (3) a presentation of foreign best practice examples (instruments and environmental approaches), as well as (4) suggestions for prioritized, environmental starting points for the further development of the instruments and the illustration of additional research requirements.