Eco-innovation: insights from a literature review

Díaz-García, Cristina; Moreno, Ángela González; Sáez‐Martínez, Francisco J.

doi:10.1080/14479338.2015.1011060

Cited by 381 publications

(339 citation statements)

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“…The principal materials used for the studies are as follows: different sources of literature, e.g., scholars' articles, research papers and the reports of foreign and Latvian researchers, and institutions, as well as the data from the database of the Eco-innovation Observatory [11].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing Latvian small and medium enterprises towards eco-innovation

Melece¹,

Hazners²

2017

Engineering for Rural Development

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Abstract. Although small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of national economies, they face many barriers and constraints towards innovations, particularly eco-innovations. In the European Union (EU) eco-innovations had been recognized as an important contributor for sustainable and green growth. The aim of the study is two-fold: 1) to determine the main barriers of eco-innovations' development in Latvia; 2) to compare the state of the main identified barriers among the EU countries. The main barriers of eco-innovations are identified via statistical analysis of SMEs managers' attitudes, using the Eurobarometer survey questionnaire. Performing the statistical analysis two factors are extracted, which account 81.7 % of the common variance, and are indicated as the main barriers for eco-innovation. These factors are financial resources (72.3 % of total variance) and human resources (9.4 % of total variance). Latvia and Lithuania score similarly both factors, but Estonia rates the environment as the most important, leaving human resources on the second position. Using the factors as dimensions all EU countries show differences in the rates between the four clusters.Keywords: eco-innovations, factor analysis, barriers, SMEs, survey. IntroductionThe European Union (EU) strategy and policy, which is supported by legislation package, strongly turns the economic development towards sustainability. Sustainable growth is one of the priorities of the EU strategy; and is based on three pillars: economic, environmental and social. It contains initiatives supporting the green growth (e.g., circular economy), resource efficiency, zero waste programs, including the support of eco-innovations [1][2][3][4]. The resource-efficiency is a key strategy of eco-efficiency and considerably the main target of eco-innovations [5][6].At the same time, the measures related to the "green" development of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), for instance "Green Action Plan for SMEs", are also created [4]. Furthermore, it is confirmed worldwide that SMEs are the economic backbone, as well as of the EU [7][8]. SMEs represent over 90 % of all EU businesses and account for two out of three jobs; and in 2014 accounted for 67 % of total employment and 58 % of total value added in the EU average (EU-28) non-financial business, but in Latvia -79 % of total employment and 69 % of total value added [9].Although, the common concept and definition of eco-innovation being still in the developing stage [10], the shortest and the latest version has been given by the Eco-Innovation Observatory as -"…any innovation that reduces the use of natural resources and decreases the release of harmful substances across the whole life-cycle" [6]. The Eco-innovation index, which represents ecoinnovation performance across the EU Member States, shows that the level of eco-innovation capacity of Latvian enterprises among the EU-28 is rather low, because Latvia is on the 20th position with the eco-innovation index 75 (EU average -100) [11].Despite eco-inno...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Eco-innovation index, which represents ecoinnovation performance across the EU Member States, shows that the level of eco-innovation capacity of Latvian enterprises among the EU-28 is rather low, because Latvia is on the 20th position with the eco-innovation index 75 (EU average -100) [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing Latvian small and medium enterprises towards eco-innovation

Melece¹,

Hazners²

2017

Engineering for Rural Development

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“…To do so a matrix (MAT LCA ) is formed on the basis of the LCIA results for individual unit processes (products and related to it manufacturing processes) and their weights reflecting the structure of production in a particular enterprise (1). The rows in the matrix represent unit processes, whereas the columns represent environmental impact categories.…”

Section: Methodsologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is very complex and ambiguous, as it is subject to constant evolution. Thus in practice, several terms referring to the above-mentioned innovations coexist, namely: environmentally friendly, green and eco- [1]. For the purpose of this publication, the authors will use the term eco-innovation, since this term implies a full-life cycle analysis of input and output factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

LCA as a Tool for Assessing Product and Process Oriented Eco-Innovations Undertaken by Enterprises

Rybaczewska-Błażejowska

Sulerz

2017

Management and Production Engineering Review

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This paper examines the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) as an approach to foster the product and process oriented eco-innovation of enterprises, using the fruit and vegetable processing plant as an example. LCA, which is traditionally used to assess the impacts of a single product system on the environment, was applied in the enterprise context. This was made possible by forming an indicator describing the environmental profile of an enterprise, which is calculated by the sum of the multiplication of the environmental impact assessment (LCIA) results for individual unit processes within a particular impact category and their weights reflecting the structure of production in an enterprise. In order to distinguish and indicate the direction in which an enterprise should undertake its eco-innovative actions (implementing eco-innovations within the product or production process) the LCIA results are presented individually for products and production processes. The research was conducted in full compliance with the LCA methodology. LCA proved that the analysed enterprise has the largest negative impacts on the environment in the following impact categories: marine eco-toxicity, freshwater eco-toxicity, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity and natural land transformation. They result primarily from the consumption of thermal and electric energy in the production processes. Therefore, to improve energy efficiency, the enterprise should take eco-innovative actions in the processes applied.

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“…It requires ensuring economic growth and development in terms of environmental protection by providing a link between sustainable economic growths, improvement in human health and well-being, social justice, employment and environmental protection (Carayannis, 2014;Diaz-Garcia, 2015;Pociovalisteanu, 2015;Sangha, 2015). Green growth, reflecting local contexts and preferences (World Bank, 2012), and circular economy (EC, 2014) is a way to pursue economic growth and development, while preventing environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and unsustainable natural resource use (OECD, 2010;OECD, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-innovation and its development in Baltic states

Melece¹

2015

Management Theory and Studies for Rural Business and Infrastructure Development

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The purpose of presented study is to find out main issues of development of eco-innovation in the Baltic States and to outline the main directions for further research, where the tasks of study are: to clarify the concept and definition of eco-innovation; and to estimate the current situation regarding eco innovation's development in the Baltic States. The research methods used, depending on the task: literature review, descriptive and inferential statistics, comparative method, as well as content analysis and systematization. European eco-innovation index (countries' performance) shows that in general the Baltic States are lagging behind both other EU Member States and Baltic Sea Region countries. Although Estonia is the leader among Baltic States, Lithuania shows faster growth but Latvia lags behind.

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Eco-innovation: insights from a literature review

Cited by 381 publications

References 73 publications

Factors influencing Latvian small and medium enterprises towards eco-innovation

Factors influencing Latvian small and medium enterprises towards eco-innovation

LCA as a Tool for Assessing Product and Process Oriented Eco-Innovations Undertaken by Enterprises

Eco-innovation and its development in Baltic states

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