Conclusions

This article puts the principles of eco-innovation into perspective, and lists a range of tools for supporting a responsible innovation process in companies.

Eco-innovation is defined as innovation that reduces environmental impact while maximizing societal benefits as well as use and economic value. In this way, this approach responds to a triple priority of responsible industry: the need to innovate in the face of global competition, the need to radically reduce the environmental impact of anthropogenic activities, and the objective of increasing societal benefits in the use and production practices of offerings.

To achieve this, a number of tools and methods have been developed. Their inventory shows that, while many of them have been designed to support an eco-innovation process, very few offer specific, real help in generating new concepts....