UNEP Cleaner Production activities include:

Providing and exchanging information

• Publications: UNEP addresses a wide audience through technical manuals, e.g., various Cleaner Production Industry Sector Guides, and more general awareness raising publications, e.g., 'Cleaner Production: CP Companion. UNEP has already published Status Reports on Cleaner Production for almost all the regions of the world, and has recently developed a series of publications on Cleaner Production Financing.

Capacity enhancement and technical assistance

• National Cleaner Production Centres (NCPCs): UNEP and UNIDO have joined forces to help introduce Cleaner Production in developing countries and countries in transition. The UNIDO/UNEP Programme of establishing National Cleaner Production Centres is a unique programme of capacity development to help achieve adoption and further development of the Cleaner Production concept at the national level.
  
  

• Financing Cleaner Production: Beginning in 1999, UNEP coordinated a four-year project aiming at increasing investments in Cleaner Production in developing countries. The project demonstrated how such investments can be stimulated by helping financial institutions understand the importance of Cleaner Production and helping Cleaner Production experts develop creditworthy investment proposals.

  The project's Web Site offers trainings and tools to enhance skills and knowledge in the area of Cleaner Production, as well as information on the challenges and opportunities facing the main actors in Cleaner Production finance.

Promotion of Cleaner Production strategy

• Partnering with other organisations: Since its inception in 1989, UNEP's Cleaner Production Programme has played a catalytic role in establishing an informal international network of Cleaner Production promoters and practitioners. The network encompasses representatives from governments, multilateral organisations, industrial stakeholders, development banks, academia and other non-governmental organisations. The network members have developed and are involved in Cleaner Production initiatives, as diverse as conducting plant-level assessments, building general awareness among key decision-makers and industry in general, training Cleaner Production experts, industry representatives and government officials, and developing and implementing Cleaner Production fostering policies.
  
  
• International Declaration on Cleaner Production (IDCP): The Declaration is a voluntary and public statement of commitment to the practice of Cleaner Production. The Declaration outlines a set of principles, which when implemented will lead to increased awareness, understanding and ultimately, greater demand for Cleaner Production. It was formulated in consultation with diverse interest groups, and designed to be a tool for all promoters of Cleaner Production to spread an understanding of the strategy and attract new advocates from government, business and other sectors.

UNEP is continuously working to increase the worldwide consensus on a Cleaner Production 'vision' and to support the growing network of organisations dedicated to promoting Cleaner Production activities.