This special double issue of Industry and Environment covers the Seventh International High-level Seminar on Cleaner Production (CP7), which took place on 28-30 April 2002 in Prague. It was organized by UNEP and the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic, and hosted by the Czech government.

One key point made at CP7 was that cleaner production and sustainable consumption together form one of the most important building blocks of sustainable development. UNEP has been working to ensure that these concepts are properly integrated.

The importance of combining the two concepts was underlined earlier in 2002 when, as part of preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), UNEP facilitated reporting by 22 industry sectors on their progress towards sustainability and work that remains to be done. Among the findings of this project is that, while industry has made environmental improvements, such progress is neutralized as consumption grows. In advance of WSSD and CP7, UNEP also issued status reports concerning progress to date on cleaner production and sustainable consumption. Advances and challenges highlighted in the reports are summarized below.