Preface

Cleaner Production is a strategic measure for maximizing the material utilization efficiency and minimizing the pollutant discharge in production processes. It is a symbol of new industrial revolution that can meet the principle of sustainable development in the new century.

China has been implementing cleaner production since early 90s, when the rapid economy growth caused serious pollution. In 1993, the Second National Working Conference on Industrial Pollution Prevention and Control highlighted CP as a critical measure for harmonizing the environment with economic development, thereby attaining sustainable development. It means that the strategy for industrial pollution control should be shifted from the end of pipe control approach to whole production process management and adoption of CP. UNEP, the World Bank and other foreign countries have been great help in these undertakings. The China Council of Industrial Cooperation for Environment and Development (CCICED) has established the working group on cleaner production in 1997, which has conducted a series activities to promote cleaner production implementation in China. Several seminars and a national wide conference on cleaner production have been organized in the past four years and are welcomed by industries and academic world in China. It is the common sense that an international conference on cleaner production will be of significance for the further development of cleaner production in China. It can be a good opportunity for Chinese to exchange experiences and views on cleaner production with experts around the world.

This is the collection of the papers presented in the conference. It includes the following themes: policies and regulations for promoting cleaner production, Practices and experiences in implementing cleaner production, Theories of cleaner production, Tools for implementing cleaner production, etc. Thanks for the support of CCICED, China-Canada Cooperation Project on Cleaner Production, China Enterprise Confederation, China Enterprise Director Association, Sino-Dutch EP Project Office and China National Cleaner Production Center. Thanks for the contributions of all the paper authors. It is expected to speed up the cause of implementing cleaner production and sustainable development in China in the future.

QIAN, Yi

Co-Chair,

Cleaner Production Working Group, CCICED

Professor

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering

Tsinghua University

China