To make zero emissions technologies and strategies become a reality, the lessons learned of cleaner production dissemination have to be known

Abstract

With respect to the philosophy of the preventive approach, the bottom line has often been illustrated with the saying: ‘…a gram of prevention is better than a kilogram of cure…’ But you cannot manage a problem that you do not know. In case of cleaner production, the approach is not to solve the problem but to prevent it. This is a deduction in two ways. Firstly, a new problem has to be present in order to be recognised, also for prevention. Secondly, the problem that has to be prevented is connected to the life-cycle of the capital and technology investments in production processes, products and services. A dilemma for new concepts in general is that pilot studies never meet the full conditions that are needed. When the obstacles of routines are overcome, often the momentum for fully conditioned approaches is passed and watered-down definitions and applications are introduced.