During the last few years, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR have enjoyed rapid economic growth. This growth, however, rested on a limited number of sectors and on products with low local added value.

In order for their growth to continue in a sustainable way, the three countries need to increase the local added value of the goods and services they produce. Moreover, for goods exported to Europe, environmental and social aspects must also be taken into account in addition to quality and price. One efficient way to address these issues is to integrate them from the initial stage of product design.

Against this background, the 20-month EU Asia Invest “Cleaner Production for Better Products” (CP4BP) project aims at increasing the capacity of selected industries in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR to develop environmentally sound and socially responsible products that are better adapted to the requirements of the European market (Cleaner and Better Products).

The project will provide local companies with training and state-of-the-art information on sustainable product design, as well as support from international and national experts for the (re-)design of their products during three 9-month demonstration projects in selected sectors. It is led by the Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre and the Asian Institute of Technology Center in Vietnam and by the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Phnom Penh Small and Medium Industry Association in Lao PDR and Cambodia, and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Delft University of Technology, both spearheading organizations in the field of sustainable product development.