United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
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UNIDO is the United Nations organization that works with governments, business associations and individual companies to help them solve industrial problems and to equip them to help themselves. UNIDO has been in operation for more than 30 years. Cleaner Production is one of UNIDOs major programming objectives in China.
UNIDO's NCPC Programme
To promote the application of cleaner production in enterprises and the incorporation of the concept in the national environmental legislation of developing countries, UNIDO/UNEP decided to set up the National Cleaner Production Centres Programme (NCPCs). During the first phase, which started in 1994, the programme set up 10 NCPCs in developing countries including China, and it has expanded into other countries since then.
In the case of production processes, where there is now a lot of experience, it has been shown that the application of cleaner production can significantly improve not only the environmental performance of enterprises but also their financial performance. Indeed, the adoption of cleaner production options very often requires little if any investment; even in the other cases, the savings on the operating costs engendered by cleaner production lead to rapid pay backs of the initial investments.
NCPC Programme Objective
The NCPC programme is based on the premise that the Cleaner Production concept can only be sustained in a country if some capacity is in place to maintain and to adopt it. True appreciation of the concept and therefore application can only be accomplished if the concept is adjusted to the local conditions and promoted by professionals in the beneficiary country itself. Building this national capacity in Cleaner Production is the main objective of the NCPC programme.
The continuous improvement of the environmental performance of industry is the goal of the UNIDO/UNEP NCPCs. In contrast to the pure technology transfer approach, NCPCs target the transfer of know-how. NCPCs do not deliver ready-made solutions for specific problems, but rather they train their clients in how to find the best solutions for their problems. By providing industry with appropriate know-how, the problem solution process does not remain a one-time-exercise, but becomes an integrated and progressive part of the overall management of the company. In this way, the NCPC methodology also generates continuous demand for CP and other environment related services.
NCPC Core Services
To reach the programme's objective, UNIDO, supported by UNEP, builds capacity in the NCPCs to undertake six sets of activities:
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Awareness raising
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Technical assistance
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Training
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Information dissemination
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Policy advice
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Investments in Cleaner Production Technology
NCPC Lessons Learned
Based on an evaluation, the Annual NCPC meetings (which brings together all centres and counterpart institutions), and day-to-day discussions, a number of lessons have been learned, including:
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Necessity of Five-year project period
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The need to supply financial assistance
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Certification of trained consultants
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Integration of Environmental Management System (EMS) and Cleaner Production
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The need to combine the CP concept with sub-sector specific expertise
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Need for increased interaction between actors in Cleaner Production
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The need to provide an integrated package which responds to the need of the enterprises assisted
(The above information was drawn from the UNIDO Web -- NCPC Programme -- http://www.unido.org/doc/331330.htmls )
China National Cleaner Production Centre Project
Cleaner Production Demonstration Project in Pulp and Paper Industry in China (Phase I & II)
UNIDO Home Page: http://www.unido.org/
UNIDO in China, Home Page: http://www.unchina.org/unido/
UNIDO National Clean Production Centres Programme: http://www.unido.org/doc/331390.htmls
Completed UNIDO Projects in
China:
http://www.unido.org/Data/Country/Project.cfm?c=CPR
Related Documents on CHINA: http://www.unido.org/en/doc/count_gen_assoc?count_tag=CPR&gp=yes
For more information about UNIDO and CP, contact: Edward CLARENCE-SMITH
ŠNDRC 2000-2006