Project description

Title: Eco-Efficiency in the Private Sector
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Mexico
Lead executing agency: CANACINTRA (Mexico's National Processing Industry Chamber)
Overall term: April 2002 to March 2005

Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are partly responsible for the serious environmental problems that particularly affect Mexico's urban agglomerations. At the same time, the private sector is facing stiff market competition, which increases the general pressure on environmental and social standards. Mexican MSMEs associate environmental protection with the added burdens of expensive environmental technology, legal complications and fines for environmental offences.

Objective

Together with both private and public-sector institutions, the project promotes a socially and ecologically sound corporate culture in Mexico.

Eco-efficient production methods – that is, economical operations with reduced environmental pollution – are to be promoted and introduced on a sustainable basis. The target groups are MSMEs and their advisors in both the Greater Mexico City area and other parts of the country.

Approach

The GTZ-promoted project has been supporting the development of a socially and ecologically sound corporate culture since 1998. The project employs two instruments in particular: an advisory programme called Profitable Environmental Management and development partnerships with the private sector referred to as public-private partnerships (PPP). Small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from the advisory services on a number of levels. They can achieve greater profits, make a contribution to environmental protection through sustainable management, and improve both the organisation and the image of their enterprise through appropriate business management. The experience gained is channelled into the dialogue conducted by GTZ with government institutions and private business associations. The project also acts as an intermediary between state and private interests.

Results achieved so far

By March 2005, some 400 persons from universities, businesses and the public sector had been trained in profitable environmental management through group advisory programmes.  Solar technicians were also trained, and auto mechanics were taught new environmental protection methods within the framework of public-private partnerships.

As a result, nearly all of the businesses have employed one or more instruments, and a long-term shift in attitude is evident as well. On average, investments equal to EUR 650 per measure have brought annual savings of EUR 7350. Emissions, waste water and toxic waste were in some cases eliminated entirely.