Voluntary action isn't enough to make cities better
22 Dec 2014
By JEROEN VAN DER HEIJDEN.- Voluntary programmes are all the rage. From ratcheting up cybersecurity to fighting obesity, firms in the United States and elsewhere voluntarily make pledges to do better than governmental regulation.
Firms are rewarded for doing so. Governments might stall the introduction of mandatory regulation, clients might be more inclined to buy their goods, and investors might consider them a safer haven for their money.
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