Promoting Cleaner Production Investments in Developing Countries: Issues and Possible Strategies

This document examines the opportunities and barriers associated with promoting Cleaner Production (CP) investments in developing countries. It outlines the core principles of CP as an integrated, preventive approach to minimizing environmental impacts while improving efficiency and competitiveness. The paper identifies key challenges—ranging from financial and technical to organizational and conceptual—that hinder CP adoption, especially among small and medium enterprises. It highlights the limited access to capital, insufficient policy incentives, lack of credit schemes tailored to CP, and weak environmental governance. Drawing on a UNEP-supported research initiative, including case studies from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, the document presents strategic recommendations to foster CP financing. These include improving creditworthiness assessments, aligning fiscal policies with sustainability goals, enhancing technical support, and engaging international financial institutions.