While in the early nineties the long-term objective of preserving ecological viability featured at the center of public attention, this focus has currently shifted to the politically predominant concern with unemployment. Accordingly, environmental policy seeks to establish the so-called double dividend strategy that renders both ecological as well as economic utility, especially with respect to the labour market prospects. Based on the analysis of empirical studies in the area of "Labour market effects of Environmental Technologies" an orientation framework was worked out to meet the requirements of a strategy pertaining to this prominent issue. The focus here was the local Rhein-Neckar-Region, investigating how environmental technologies can be promoted with an eye towards the labour market. This included the following aspects:

• Characteristics of environmental innovators as compared to other innovators.
• Differences among the more or less successful environmental innovators.
• (Employment) Potentials in association with an innovator´s competitiveness.
• General strategic summary for the Rhein-Neckar-Region.
• Specific regional requirements concerning employment inducing effects of promoting environmental innovations in the region.
• Comparative advantages of the Rhein-Neckar-Region on the environmental technologies market.