Limitations of cleaner production programmes as organisational change agents I. Achieving commitment and on-going improvement

Abstract

This is the first in a two-part paper that discusses the results of an evaluation of a 2-year ‘cleaner production’ (CP) demonstration project undertaken in New Zealand (NZ). The project's scale and methods were consistent with international best practice and the methods used were consistent with those advocated in traditional CP or ‘pollution prevention’ (PP) guides and manuals. On the surface, the project could be considered to have been successful. Like other apparently successful demonstration projects carried out elsewhere, the demonstration businesses identified a range of options that improved their environmental, economic and social performance (including savings of over NZ$4 million per annum, and significant reductions in materials, water and energy use, and improvements in productivity). However, a more in-depth evaluation of the project raised significant questions about the ability of traditional CP/PP programme components to bring about durable change. The evaluation identified a set of key internal organisational factors that strongly contributed towards the uptake of CP and affected the potential for on-going improvement. They were commitment, leadership, support, communication, staff involvement and programme design. This part of the paper (Part I) provides an overview of the project, as well as the methodology used in the evaluation. It also includes a discussion of the results particularly as they relate to commitment and on-going improvement. Part II discusses the remaining key internal organisational factors. It also presents a framework that could potentially be used to enhance the performance of CP or similar types of programmes, particularly with regard to the key factors identified.