The problem

Eco-innovation has been defined as the production, assimilation or exploitation of a new product that aims over its life cycle to reduce environmental risk, pollution or other negative impacts of resource use. This definition omits an economic dimension, however, resulting in assessments that only concentrate on environmental performance. Recent definitions have incorporated gains for sustainable development and market share. There is a need for sets of indicators that measure economic and environmental performance of eco-innovation within a coherent methodology.

Overview:

ECODRIVE will establish a framework for assessing diverse indicators of eco-innovation performance.

The project will:

• Develop a conceptual framework and typology for eco-innovation
• Establish a methodology for the selection of direct (economic and environmental) and indirect (proxy and driver) indicators of eco-innovation
• Provide exemplary applications of indicator types for guidance in assessing eco-innovations, in terms of feasibility, robustness and other measures
• Improve data availability for eco-innovation indicators and specify research for improving insight into factors affecting eco-innovation

Contribution to policy development:

• ECODRIVE will develop a conceptual clarification of eco-innovation for policy-makers.
• It will conduct an assessment of drivers (such as policy and decision-making) for eco-innovation.
• The project will formulate a methodology that combines the goals of the Lisbon (economic and social) and Gothenburg (sustainable development) policy processes.
• It will contribute to the implementation of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) and the revised Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS).

Project deliverables

• Typology of eco-innovation – April 2007
• Sets of eco-innovation indicators: environmental and economic performance indicators, and indirect proxy measurement and driver (conducive factors) indicators – November 2007
• Test of framework linking direct performance indicators and indirect indicators – September 2007
• Improved knowledge on drivers and enhanced data on performance indicators – November 2007
• Integrated framework for analysing eco-innovation and final report – December 2007

Dissemination

• Project website – April 2007
• Two stakeholder workshops – September and November 2007
• Final dissemination plan – December 2007
• Report Summary brochures and CDs to all stakeholders, including parties in government, business, SMEs, NGOs, science, accountants and statistical bureaus – December 2007
• Publications in scientific and professional journals – December 2007

Technical information

Project acronym: ECODRIVE
Project’s official full title: Measuring eco-innovation: ecological and economic performance and derived indicators
Research priority: Assessment of environmental technologies for support of policy decisions, in particular concerning effective but low-cost technologies in the context of fulfilling environmental legislation
Specific webpage: Not yet available
Proposal/contract no: 044391
Start date: 1^st January 2007
Kick off meeting: 6 March 2007
Completion date: 31 December 2007
European Commission scientific officer: Michele Galatola, Michele.Galatola@ec.europa.eu

Coordinator:
Name: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University
Abbreviated name: CML
Address: CML
PO Box 9518
2300 RA Leiden
Country: the Netherlands
Tel: +31 71 5277461
Fax: +31 71 5275587
Website: http://www.leidenuniv.nl/cml/

Partners

Name: Policy Studies Institute
Abbreviated name: PSI
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Centre for Sustainability Management, University of Lüneburg
Abbreviated name: Uni LG
Country: Germany