Page 31 - Hojnik, Jana. 2017. In Persuit of Eco-innovation. Drivers and Consequences of Eco-innovation at Firm Level. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 31
Eco-innovation
Author Definition of eco-innovation 31
European Commission
(2012, 29) Eco-innovation can be found in all forms of new, or significantly improved, prod-
ucts, goods, services, processes, marketing methods, organizational structures, insti-
Horbach, Rammer and Ren- tutional arrangements and lifestyle and social behaviors, which lead to environmen-
nings (2012, 119) tal improvements compared to relevant alternatives.
Pereira and Vence (2012, 91) Eco-innovation is defined as product, process, marketing, and organizational inno-
vations, leading to a noticeable reduction in environmental burdens. Positive en-
Dong et al. (2013, 2) vironmental effects can be explicit goals or side effects of innovations. They can
occur within the respective companies or through customer use of products or ser-
vices.
The singularity of eco-innovation with regard to conventional innovation resides in
its favorable effect on the environment, which improves social wellbeing. The con-
cept tries to highlight the compatibility between the two traditionally opposed
goals of improving business competitiveness and the environmental care.
From a theoretical perspective, eco-innovation has become an interdisciplinary
concept; as a research field, it is established on the principles of innovation theories
and environmental science. Eco-innovation is studied as an aspect of innovation
and thus is compared to the general innovation measures, even though it specifi-
cally aims to improve firms’ long-term ecological performance, rather than to pro-
mote business operational efficiencies and/or profitability per se. Eco-innovation
focuses on reducing the negative effects of excessive natural resource exploitation,
environmental pollutant emissions, and ecological risks that emerge along the life-
cycle of specific products and/or services.
Wilts et al. (2013, 824) Eco-innovation can be a new good or service, process, organizational change, or
marketing method in a company, but also a wider change with systemic implica-
tions for economy and society (e.g., new production–consumption models based
on services).
Source: Fussler and James (1996 in Carillo-Hermosilla et al. 2010); James (1997); Rennings
(2000); Rennings et al. (2004); Chen et al. (2006); Ottman et al. (2006); Competitiveness and
Innovation Framework 2007 to 2013 (in Charter and Clark 2007); Kemp and Foxon (2007);
Kemp and Pearson (2007); Reid and Miedzinski (2008); Belin et al. (2009); Huppes and Ishi-
kawa (2009); Kammerer (2009); Oltra and Saint Jean (2009); Ahmed and Kamruzzaman
(2010); Carrillo-Hermosilla et al. (2010); Eco-innovation scoreboard (2011b); Rave, Goe-
tzke and Larch (2011); Angelo et al. (2012); Eco-innovation scoreboard (2012b); Europe-
an Commission (2012); Horbach, Rammer and Rennings (2012); Pereira and Vence (2012);
Dong et al. (2013); Wilts et al. (2013).
Features of eco-innovation
In the following pages, we extract and delineate the main characteristics
of eco-innovation, beginning with the lifecycle perspective (Kemp and
Pearson 2007; Speirs, Pearson and Foxon 2008; EIO 2010 in EIO 2013a;
EIO 2011b; EIO and CfSD 2013). The definition proposed by EIO em-
phasizes the full lifecycle perspective and not just environmental aspects
of individual lifecycle stages (EIO and CfSD 2013). Inventing new prod-
Author Definition of eco-innovation 31
European Commission
(2012, 29) Eco-innovation can be found in all forms of new, or significantly improved, prod-
ucts, goods, services, processes, marketing methods, organizational structures, insti-
Horbach, Rammer and Ren- tutional arrangements and lifestyle and social behaviors, which lead to environmen-
nings (2012, 119) tal improvements compared to relevant alternatives.
Pereira and Vence (2012, 91) Eco-innovation is defined as product, process, marketing, and organizational inno-
vations, leading to a noticeable reduction in environmental burdens. Positive en-
Dong et al. (2013, 2) vironmental effects can be explicit goals or side effects of innovations. They can
occur within the respective companies or through customer use of products or ser-
vices.
The singularity of eco-innovation with regard to conventional innovation resides in
its favorable effect on the environment, which improves social wellbeing. The con-
cept tries to highlight the compatibility between the two traditionally opposed
goals of improving business competitiveness and the environmental care.
From a theoretical perspective, eco-innovation has become an interdisciplinary
concept; as a research field, it is established on the principles of innovation theories
and environmental science. Eco-innovation is studied as an aspect of innovation
and thus is compared to the general innovation measures, even though it specifi-
cally aims to improve firms’ long-term ecological performance, rather than to pro-
mote business operational efficiencies and/or profitability per se. Eco-innovation
focuses on reducing the negative effects of excessive natural resource exploitation,
environmental pollutant emissions, and ecological risks that emerge along the life-
cycle of specific products and/or services.
Wilts et al. (2013, 824) Eco-innovation can be a new good or service, process, organizational change, or
marketing method in a company, but also a wider change with systemic implica-
tions for economy and society (e.g., new production–consumption models based
on services).
Source: Fussler and James (1996 in Carillo-Hermosilla et al. 2010); James (1997); Rennings
(2000); Rennings et al. (2004); Chen et al. (2006); Ottman et al. (2006); Competitiveness and
Innovation Framework 2007 to 2013 (in Charter and Clark 2007); Kemp and Foxon (2007);
Kemp and Pearson (2007); Reid and Miedzinski (2008); Belin et al. (2009); Huppes and Ishi-
kawa (2009); Kammerer (2009); Oltra and Saint Jean (2009); Ahmed and Kamruzzaman
(2010); Carrillo-Hermosilla et al. (2010); Eco-innovation scoreboard (2011b); Rave, Goe-
tzke and Larch (2011); Angelo et al. (2012); Eco-innovation scoreboard (2012b); Europe-
an Commission (2012); Horbach, Rammer and Rennings (2012); Pereira and Vence (2012);
Dong et al. (2013); Wilts et al. (2013).
Features of eco-innovation
In the following pages, we extract and delineate the main characteristics
of eco-innovation, beginning with the lifecycle perspective (Kemp and
Pearson 2007; Speirs, Pearson and Foxon 2008; EIO 2010 in EIO 2013a;
EIO 2011b; EIO and CfSD 2013). The definition proposed by EIO em-
phasizes the full lifecycle perspective and not just environmental aspects
of individual lifecycle stages (EIO and CfSD 2013). Inventing new prod-
