Green production indicators, a guide for moving towards sustainable development

This publication is the outcome of a project entitled “Towards a set of indicators for greener production”, co-financed by ECLAC and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the objective of which was to develop specific knowledge for promoting the design and compilation of harmonized regional indicators on sustainable production and the incorporation of green technologies in firms of Latin America and the Caribbean. The guide should be seen as a set of methodological recommendations for voluntary application. Nevertheless, it is hoped that the use of these guidelines will facilitate the production of data (providing instruments that countries can readily adapt) and enhance their comparability.
The production and dissemination of internationally harmonized data on green production will help policymakers in the industrial and environmental areas, as well as businesses and society in general, to understand more thoroughly the environmental processes and practices of firms and allow them to take appropriate decisions for reducing the harmful effects of industrialization, to promote environmentally friendly growth, and to seize new economic opportunities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).