Core materials

Building Materials Supplement

UNEP's new Eco-innovation Building Materials Supplement was created to respond to the building material sector's need for more guidance in building resilient, competitive, and sustainable business models for SMEs.

Electronics Supplement

The supplement provides electronics specific examples, learning case studies, and advice on applying the eco-innovation methodology and its opportunities in the electronic sector.

Also available in Spanish

Textiles Supplement

Textiles sector-specific information supplementing the manual when working with companies in this sector.

Also available in French

Metals supplement

Metals sector specific information supplementing the manual when working with companies in this sector.

Business Case for Eco-innovation

Good practices of eco-innovation for a business audience. Also in Russian, Arabic, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Eco-innovation implementation process

The core eco-innovation process and its 54 activities to support implementation. Also in Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and French.

Templates

Pack of blank activity templates to be used for collaborating with the company, colleagues or working on your own.

UNEP Eco-innovation: Making your business sustainable

This brochure explains how eco-innovation can support SMEs in making their business sustainable, profitable, and resilient. Available here in English.

Chemicals supplement

Chemicals sector specific information supplementing the manual when working with companies in this sector.

Agri-food supplement

Agri-food sector specific information supplementing the manual when working with companies in this sector.

Moving Ahead with Technology for Eco-innovation

Technological aspects relevant to eco-innovation; guidance on identifying, developing, and adopting
technologies; role of policymaking,
and business intermediaries. Executive Summary available in Spanish and French.

Mainstreaming Eco-Innovation in Sustainable Consumption and Production Policies

Practical guidance to create a policy context conducive to eco-innovation, enabling systemic changes in consumption and production patterns. Full report available in Spanish and French.

Financing for eco-innovation in SMEs in Central America

The study describes the landscape of financial mechanisms/ programs in the region; provides insights from the management of existing financial mechanisms; and offers recommendations to close the gap in access to finance. Report also available in Spanish.

Videos

Identifying and evaluating potential new markets

This video gives a brief overview of how a business can go about identifying and evaluating potential new markets.

Identifying sustainable hotspots across the value chain

If we want to make big improvements in sustainability performance we need to focus our efforts on the biggest sustainability challenges faced by the value chain.

Eco innovation across the value chain

One of the key features of eco-innovation is the focus on collaboration with partners across the value chain.

Buil Collective Action

When it comes to building a roadmap for eco-innovation, it is important to remember that value-chain cooperation is often the key to long term success.

Setting the business model

Once you have set the business strategy, the next challenge is to develop a business model. This will help to put the strategy into practice at the operational level.

Webinar - Eco-innovation as a stepping stone for Circular Economy

Learn about the insights that resulted from the "Eco-innovation" project and how can eco-innovation, and other similar initiatives, further contribute to a circular economy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvc3oQWdQ2U

SMEs in Georgia: Eco-innovation in practice

This video shares the experiences of 8 SMEs in Georgia as part of the EU4Environment programme where they applied the eco-innovation methodology into their operations and value chains.

Flyers of country specific cases for eco-innovation

Success stories from the field

Other resources to build on

Chemical Leasing Toolkit

In a new circular economy business, instead of selling chemicals in tons or liters, Chemical Leasing partners agree on a value-based unit of payment such as cleaned area in square meters or coated number of bottles.

UN Industrial Development Organisation

Building Circularity through Sustainable Procurement

UN Environment