Strategy, Targets & Performance Management
Eco-innovation
Any innovation — product, process, organisational or marketing — that reduces environmental impact, whether or not that was its primary purpose.
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Eco-innovation is defined in the EU Eco-Innovation Action Plan as any form of innovation — products, services, processes, organisational methods and marketing approaches — that results in reduced environmental impact or more efficient and responsible use of natural resources, whether or not the environmental benefit was the primary intention. The OECD frames it similarly as innovation leading to environmental improvements across the life cycle.
References
EU definition and scope
life-cycle framing
Overview
What it means
Innovation judged by its environmental outcome, spanning technology, business models and institutions — broader than clean technology alone.
How it is used
The concept structures EU innovation policy, national eco-innovation action plans, and measurement frameworks tracking eco-innovation performance across member states.
Why it matters
Eco-innovation links the innovation agenda to absolute environmental improvement, providing the policy bridge between competitiveness and sustainability.
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