Innovation as requisite for the Sustainable Development

Abstract

The challenge of the Sustainable Development for the productive sector requires the reorientation of actions towards the origin of the problems and the quest for clean production. Several authors propose the use of the concept of the Factor 10 or the Factor X, to give the proper dimension to this challenge. The Factor 10 indicate the need of increasing the ecological efficiency of the processes and products in a scale of 10 times within a period of 30 to 50 years (SCHMIDT-BLEEK, 1997; KIPERSTOK e MARINHO, 2001; PENEDA e FRAZÃO, 1997; (WEAVER et al., 2000). To reach that standard, approaches environmental innovation are needed. More than than, radical innovation is necessary. This article reviews several authors' point of view on innovation and, more specifically, on environmental innovation. It is attempted to clarify the influence of the environmental regulations on the innovative process and the need of a better coherence between the environmental policies and tecnological development.

This article is part of a wider work required by the Nucleous for the Advanced Studies on the Environment (Núcleo de Estudos Avançados para o Meio Ambiente (NEAMA), which is part of the Human Resources of Bahia, which has the objective of promoting a process of discussion on environmental innovation and the ways for its sustainability.