CP Unit - Mission Statement

The UNIDO Cleaner Production programme (CP) aims at building national CP capacities, fostering dialogue between industry and government and enhancing investments for transfer and development of environmentally sound technologies. Through this programme, UNIDO is bridging the gap between competitive industrial production and environmental concerns. CP is more than just a technical solution. It has a widespread application at all decision-making levels in industry, with the chief focus on adoption of cleaner technologies and techniques within the industrial sector. Costly end-of-pipe pollution control systems are gradually replaced with a strategy that reduces and avoids pollution and waste throughout the entire production cycle, from efficient use of raw materials, energy and water to the final product.

UNIDO's CP programme represents an innovative approach, which increases competitiveness, facilitates market access and strengthens the productive capacity of developing economies taking into consideration the two other dimensions of sustainable development, environmental compliance and social development. The CP concept has been adopted and promoted by other organizations as well. For example, aid organizations in Switzerland, Norway and the United States have promoted cleaner production activities around the world. UNIDO works with these organizations to create synergies.

CP can only be sustained if capacity is in place to adopt and adjust it to local conditions. To make the programme a reality and promote the application of CP by enterprises in developing and transition countries, UNIDO in cooperation with UNEP started, in 1994, to set up National Cleaner Production Centers (NCPCs) and National Cleaner Production Programmes (NCPPs). Since then, 43 NCPCs and NCPPs have been established, with others in the planning stage. UNIDO manages the NCPCs and NCPPs network and works in tandem with other organizations, such as UNEP, to provide cutting edge experience and strategic direction.

Please visit our Introduction to Cleaner Production page for a more detailed explanation of UNIDO's CP Approach.


Energy and Cleaner Production Branch, UNIDO
Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 300
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Tel: (+431) 260260, Fax: (+431) 26026 6819
www.unido.org/cp