Supporting industry in building cleaner production into product design

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.

Agenda 21 recommends that states should encourage industry to develop schemes which integrate the cleaner production approach into design of products and into management practice.

Many clean production initiatives are being undertaken in partnership with national governments or international organizations. During the 1998 UNCSD session, the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce reaffirmed the organization's commitment to bringing the 'financial, managerial and technical expertise' of industry and business to sustainable development. However, industry representatives emphasized that the sector is looking to governments to establish appropriate frameworks, such as legal and fiscal incentives, which would encourage speedier introduction of clean technologies and other measures (UNCSD 1998b).