The aim of this article is to analyse the factors that influence French industrial firms in their eco-innovation behaviour and, using a general model as a basis, to build three models of adoption of eco innovations according to whether the motives for eco innovation are related to demand, costs or regulation. An econometric model for analysing the characteristics that are conducive to the adoption of eco innovations, on the one hand, and those that positively influence the intensity of firms' environmental innovation performance is tested using individual data on innovation that is representative of the French industrial sector (CIS8). The results highlight the structuring role of firms' internal characteristics, the co-evolution with other forms of innovation and the influence of firms' external environment on their eco-innovation performance. They show that these factors have different effects depending on firms' strategic profiles.