Prioritisation and evaluation of barriers intensity for implementation of cleaner technologies: Framework for sustainable production

Abstract

In the era of circular economy, the economic growth of a country is highly dependent on the sustainable performance of its manufacturing sector. Therefore, it is mandatory to develop technology with maximum efficiency and minimum pollution to make manufacturing sector sustainable and competitive. Hence cleaner technology is an ingenious option to maintain potential for increasing effectiveness of manufacturing processes. Cleaner technologies application is the modern integrated approach in manipulating pollutants and wastes in industries. “Cleaner Technology” is all about less and more systematic energy and materials use. For manufacturing organisations to be globally competitive and sustainable, it is necessary to implement cleaner technologies in different functions. Organisations face number of barriers while implementing cleaner technologies. It becomes indispensable to measure the influence of these barriers for formulating strategic approach to implement cleaner technologies. On the basis of literature review and experts’ opinion, four categories of barriers, namely technical information barriers, operational and strategic barriers, financial and economic barriers and human barriers are identified. In this study, hybrid approach comprising of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and graph theoretic approach (GTA) has been used. First prioritisation of different categories of barriers by AHP has been done and second, GTA has been applied for finding the barriers intensity index. Based on this study, finance and economic barriers have emerged as major hurdle in implementing cleaner technologies. Proposed framework will help organisations in quantifying barriers in implementing cleaner technologies in different processes thereby developing effective strategies for sustainable production.