Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable
Development in Africa
African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) Technopolicy Brief No. 61
Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane

Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable
Development in Africa
Case studies from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia

Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane
African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is atransdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private
sector actors and the civil society promoting the generation,dissemination, use and mastery of Science, Technology andInnovations (STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. In collaboration with like-minded
institutions, ATPS provides platforms for regional and international
research and knowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s capabilities
in STI policy research, policymaking and implementation forsustainable development.

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies
Network (ATPS)
P. O. Box 10081, 00100- GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
2021
ISBN: 978-9966-124-79-1

Table of Contents
About the RECIRCULATE project..................................................................... ii
About the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) ....................... iii
Acknowledgement ........................................................................................ iv
Key Messages ................................................................................................ v
1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 1
2. Rationale for Eco-innovation Policies in Africa ......................................... 2
3. Understanding Eco-innovation Concept ................................................... 3
4. Methodology ........................................................................................... 6
5. Major Findings ......................................................................................... 6
6. Conclusion ............................................................................................. 10
7. Policy Recommendations ....................................................................... 11
References ................................................................................................... 14
ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief Series .................................................................... 15i | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

About the RECIRCULATE project
The Lancaster University, UK through its Centre for Global Eco-innovation (GCE)aims to support high quality research partnerships to establish systems
necessary to move from research to solutions and support the long-termtransition from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy. Lancaster
University is well known for translating high quality research into real world
impacts. The RECIRCULATE project, Lancaster University is funded by the
Research Councils UK through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)
which has the stated aim of “Growing Research Capability to Meet the
Challenges Faced by Developing Countries”. In that sense, RECIRCULATE is quite
different from many traditional research projects. While there is a clear research
focus on a circular water economy there is also a broader underpinning aim tosupport new partnership-based approaches to enable African researchers andresearch institutions to grow transformational impact through (i) working with,in and for their communities and (ii) developing robust, durable and equitablepartnerships with UK researchers. That aim certainly applies to water researchand is relevant to all disciplines and sectors if research is to underpin sustainable
and equitable growth. The project is being implemented through research andtrainings delivered in the United Kingdom and Africa. The project partners
include: University of Benin, Nigeria; Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research, Ghana and Lancaster University, Ghana Campus; Botswana
International University of Science and Technology; National Commission for
Science and Technology Malawi; Copperbelt University, Zambia; and the African
Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS). ATPS was commissioned to conduct
a policy and institutional landscape review on Eco-innovation targeting the
RECIRCULATE project implementing countries: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya,
Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia. It is from this study that this Policy Brief has beendeveloped.

ii | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

About the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) 1 is a trans-disciplinary
network of researchers, policymakers, private sector actors and civil society
actors that promote the generation, dissemination, use and mastery of Science,
Technology and Innovations (STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. ATPS has over 5,000 network members and
3,000 stakeholders in over 51 countries in 5 continents with institutional
partnerships worldwide. We implement our programs through members innational chapters established in 30 countries (27 in Africa and 3 Diaspora
chapters in Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom). In
collaboration with like-minded institutions, ATPS provides platforms for regional
and international research and knowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s
capabilities in STI policy research, policymaking and implementation forsustainable development.

https://atpsnet.org/

1iii | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

Acknowledgement
This Policy Brief was produced by the African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) with support from Lancaster University, UK. The ATPS takes thisopportunity to thank all the ATPS National Chapter Coordinators in the study
countries, the lead researchers and facilitators for their efforts in contributing
to the success of the research especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We also
thank the respondents in the study countries for their inputs. We also thank the
respondents in the study countries for their inputs. Special thanks to the
RECIRCULATE project community for their inputs and support throughout the
study period. The ATPS also thanks the RECIRCULATE managers for theirtechnical inputs and support throughout the study period.

iv | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

Key Messages
 Eco-innovation is more important now than ever on the public policy
agenda. It is a major driver for achieving sustainable development.
 While there is no African country currently with a stand-alone Ecoinnovation policy, evidence abound that Eco-innovation principles andpractices are implied and carried out through their other numerous
sectoral policies related to Eco-innovation. Agriculture, Environment &Natural Resources (Water, Forestry, Mining, etc.), STI, Energy, Health,
Trade & Industry and Transport are among the key sectors that have Ecoinnovation related policies, principles, practices, and strategies.
 Eco-innovation principles and practices have the potential for bringing
about the much-desired transformational change in Africa throughsustainable production and consumption, increased job and wealthcreation, youth empowerment, and innovative creation of goods andservices. It therefore becomes necessary to develop a clear-cut policy on
Eco-innovation to provide guidelines and plan of actions for harnessing
the huge potentials it offers and hence enable Africa to achieve thesustainable development goals.
 All the study countries are signatories to key international statutes andhave ratified various international conventions that are aimed at reducing
emissions to curb climate change, conservation of biodiversity andenhancing environmental sustainability. These agreements have verystrong Eco-innovation principles enshrined in them.

v | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

1. Introduction
There are growing concerns about the state of the natural environment due tothe negative impacts of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, inefficiency in natural
resource and waste management as well as the devastating impacts of pollution
among many others. In view of the urgency of the environmental challenges,
emerging and developing countries need to build their capacities forresearching, inventing, adapting or adopting new technologies to counter thesechallenges. They also need to establish the necessary demand to help suchinnovations develop and sustain. Doing so is prudent, not only from anenvironmental but also from a business point of view.
In the recent past, various concepts have been advanced that focus onpromoting sustainable development with emphasis on reducing emissions topromote a green economy, green growth, or sometimes referred to as green
innovation. This shift focused on using renewable energy sources, reduction in
the utilization of fossil fuel as well as developing resource-use efficienttechnologies. Transitioning to an inclusive green economy based on sustainableconsumption and production patterns, require new sustainable businessstrategies and models and a supportive policy framework in response toenvironmental, economic and social challenges is a process of Eco-innovation.
Eco-innovation is therefore the development of products or processes that
contribute to sustainability by reducing the use of natural resources (materials,
energy, water and land) and decreasing the release of harmful substances acrossthe whole lifecycle while also offering customer and business value (Ecoinnovation Observatory [EIO], 2010; European Commission, 2018). Ecoinnovation is also called ‘green innovation and it aims at the development of
products, processes, skills or new business forms with direct or indirect
ecological improvements in order to enhance sustainable development (Jo et.
al., 2015). It calls attention to the positive contribution that industry can maketo sustainable development and a competitive economy (OECD, 2009) which
requires deliberate improvements on existing products and processes, creationof new products and processes, the combination of processes and materials,
discovery of new raw materials, markets and distribution channels are (Nnaji
and Igbuku, 2019).
Eco-innovation is more important now than ever as is a major driver for green
growth and contributes to environmental performance and economic
development (OECD, 2011). Eco-innovation helps to incorporate sustainability
into business decision-making and to develop new business strategies, models
1 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

and products. Eco-innovation provides a competitive advantage to business bycreating win-win opportunities for economic development, positive impact onsociety and reducing harm to the environment. Eco-innovation is an integral partof the successful transformation towards a green economy. It is not merely
about technological developments: non-technical innovations matter as well. It
acknowledges that policies do not operate in a vacuum and that they must takeaccount of the contexts that influence the development and diffusion of Ecoinnovation.
It is against this background that African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) conducted a review and analysis of the policy landscape of Ecoinnovation in six (6) African countries namely: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi,
Nigeria and Zambia. This study was supported by the RECIRCULATE project thatis led by Lancaster University, UK under the Global Challenges Research Fund
(GCRF) Programme of the UK government.
2. Rationale for Eco-innovation Policies in Africa
In the face of the increasing human population, the developing world has been
facing a myriad of inter-dependent challenges ranging from social, economicand environmental challenges. This has been exacerbated by the fact that the
majority of African countries derive a substantial share of their Gross Domestic
Products (GDPs) from natural resource-dependent sectors such as agriculture,mining, forestry, water, energy, transport and aquaculture. The environmental
safety threshold has been surpassed as evidenced by the ecological problems
emanating from the overuse and misuse of natural resources like climatechange, desertification, food and water insecurity, widespread of environmentrelated human diseases, soil degradation, and natural catastrophes like floods
and hurricanes (Reid and Miedzinski, 2008). With new technologies andinnovations, these environmental challenges offer a potential boom in theindustry sector. However, this calls for scientific research geared towards
formulating sustainable and implementable national, regional and continental
policies and strategic plans.
The rising prominence of natural environmental challenges has triggered global
and local policy adjustments, as well as industry initiatives to stymie thesechallenges (Munodawafa and Johl, 2019). Examples of such initiatives include
the establishment of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United
Nations (UN) in 2015. These SDGs are a global attempt, led by the United
Nations, to direct the world towards sustainable development (Hajer et. al.,
2 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

2015). In Africa, the African Union Agenda 2063 provides a 50-year roadmap forthe ‘Africa We Want’ against which many national governments have developed
their national development visions and strategies.
On the other hand, the RECIRCULATE program provides a promising elucidation
for tackling such challenges in Africa, by driving Eco-innovation through capacity
building for a safe circular water economy. This is because it supports highquality and results-oriented research partnerships that offer sustainable
solutions to water use and safety problems. This offers a life-long solution thus
shifting the production frontier from a resource-dependent to a knowledgebased level. For instance, Kenya’s transition to a green economy could produce
major economic benefits – equivalent to an estimated USD 45 billion by 2030 2 –as well as greater food security, a cleaner environment and higher productivityof natural resources, stronger economic growth and increased wealth creation
opportunities by 2021.
Even though official Eco-innovation policies are not in place in most Africancountries, there is a definite recognition that there is vast potential in Africa forjob creation and economic growth and that the SDGs and AU’s Agenda 2063 are
attainable if sustainable economic practices are adopted. Countries are
introducing the concept of a green economy to their new policies in a variety of
sectors but without an explicit focus on Eco-innovation. A study released by UN
Environment Programme in 2016 that looked at eight African countries
implementing green strategies showed that “under green economy investment
scenarios, national real GDP in Kenya is projected to exceed a business-as-usualmodel by approximately 12% by 2030, while in the energy sector, investments
in expanding solar and wind capacity in Senegal, for instance, are projected tocreate up to 30,000 additional jobs by 2035 (Bertelsmann-Scott, 2020). Several
other case studies are spanning the continent have picked up on how innovation
is being used, either through new ways of using or reusing materials, or using
new technology for production purposes that create economic gain within thecontext of the circular economy for Africa.
3. Understanding Eco-innovation Concept
The concept of Eco-innovation seems new in many African countries. Reid andMiedzinski (2008), defined Eco-innovation as “the creation of novel andcompetitively priced goods, processes, systems, services, and procedures
2

https://www.kenyacic.org/2016/05/20/the-green-economy-assessment-report/

3 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

designed to satisfy human needs and provide a better quality of life for everyone
with a whole-life-cycle minimal use of natural resources (materials including
energy and surface area) per unit output, and a minimal release of toxic
substances.” Different regions and countries are embracing different aspects ofsustainable development and green economy. For instance, in developed
continents, new technologies, designs, services and innovations are contributing
to the circular economies. The deterioration of the environment worldwide
demands economic solutions that will enable its restoration.
More radical and systemic innovations are necessary to transform thetraditional resource-wasting production and consumption patterns into
economic systems that are characterized by the circular flow of natural
resources, which is an aspect of Eco-innovation. A circular economy entails two
key attributes that can be considered “hardware” and “software.” The“hardware” aspect comprises of the Eco-innovative technologies and technicalinfrastructures that would allow the conversion of waste into reusable resources
again. The “software” aspects are the Eco-innovative skills, expertise andbusiness models that would turn these transformations into lucrative business
opportunities. Eco-innovation is thus seen as an overarching concept thatprovides direction and vision for pursuing the overall societal changes neededto achieve sustainable development. Building upon existing innovation and Ecoinnovation literature (e.g., Reid and Miedzinski, 2008), Eco-innovation can beunderstood and analysed in terms of an innovation’s 1) target, 2) mechanismand 3) impact (OECD, 2009). Fig. 1 below represents an overview of Ecoinnovation and its typology:

Source: OECD, (2009)
Figure 1: Typology of Eco-innovation
4 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

Target is the basic focus of Eco-innovation. Following the Oslo Manual (OECDand Eurostat, 2005), the target of an Eco-innovation may be a. Products(involving both goods and services) b. Processes (such as a production method
or procedure) c. Marketing methods (for the promotion and pricing of products,
and other market-oriented strategies) d. Organisations (such as the structure ofmanagement and the distribution of responsibilities) e. Institutions (which
include the broader societal area beyond a single organisation’s control, such as
institutional arrangements, social norms and cultural values). The target of Ecoinnovation can be technological or non-technological in nature.
Mechanism relates to the method by which the change in the Eco-innovation
target takes place or is introduced. It is also associated with the underlying
nature of Eco-innovation - whether the change is of a technological or nontechnological character. Mechanisms are identified: Modification - small, progressive product and process adjustments.
 Re-design - significant changes in existing products, processes,organisational structures, etc.
 Alternatives - the introduction of goods and services that can fulfil thesame functional need and operate as substitutes for other products.
 Creation - the design and introduction of entirely new products,
processes, procedures, organisations and institutions.
Impact on the other hand refers to the Eco-innovation’s effect on theenvironment, across its lifecycle or some other focus area. Environmental
impacts stem from the Eco-innovation’s target and mechanism and theirinterplay with its socio-technical surroundings. Given a specific target, thepotential magnitude of the environmental benefit tends to depend on the Ecoinnovation’s mechanism, as more systemic changes, such as alternatives andcreation, generally embody higher potential benefits than modification and redesign.
Production and consumption of goods and services in most African countries are
predominantly linear in the sense that resources are extracted, processed, usedand disposed of as waste. This trend is risky given the rate of population increase
and demand for the limited natural resources. As a mitigation strategy, African
economies must realign their development policies and strategic plans withsustainable developments aspects like promotion of bio-economy, green
growth, ecological organic and sustainable agriculture practices, use of green
and renewable energy among other technologies and Eco-innovations.

5 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

4. Methodology
This Policy Brief has been developed from a study that was conducted in six (6)African countries namely: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia.
Both primary and secondary data collection methods were used. The secondary
data and information were obtained through comprehensive desk studies,
where published policy materials, online journals and all relevant grey literature
were reviewed and analysed. The primary data were obtained through Key
Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with Ecoinnovation relevant stakeholders from the focus countries. The selected Key
Informants and FGD participants were sought from relevant government(public) policymakers, the private sector, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs),
Research and Development Institutions and the media. At least one FGD andtwenty (20) KII were conducted in each of the six (6) RECIRCULATE countries.
The KII and FGD questions focused on understanding the existing enabling
and/or constraining Eco-innovation policy environment in the specific areas, theexisting policy gaps as well as their proposed recommendations that could
facilitate the sustainability of Eco-innovation in those countries, the progress
made, challenges, opportunities and benefits attained in promoting Ecoinnovation principles and practices.
5. Major Findings
The findings reveal that there are no explicit standalone Eco-innovation policies
that primarily advocate for Eco-innovation in all the case study countries. Some
aspects of Eco-innovation are captured in different sectoral policies, strategies
and plans. These key sectors include the environment, agriculture, health, trade& industry, water, forestry as well as transport & communication sectors. Other
cross-cutting sectors such as climate change, STI also have critical policies thatsignificantly address issues on Eco-innovation development. All the case study
countries are signatories to key international statutes and have ratified various
international conventions that are aimed at reducing emissions to curb climatechange impacts, the conservation of biodiversity and enhancing environmental
sustainability. Additionally, the Constitutions of most of the case study countries
have also emphasized on some of the principles and practices of Eco-innovation.
Besides having the principles of Eco-innovation incorporated in some policies
and constitutions, the case study countries have also incorporated aspects of
the new concept in their national strategies, sectoral strategies, visions,development plans or sectoral strategic plans. Below are some of the key
6 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

policies, strategies and national development plans that support aspects of Ecoinnovation in the case study countries:a) Botswana
Botswana has a myriad of eco-friendly legal regulations and guiding principles
that are geared towards promoting the principles of Eco-innovation under
different sectors. Environmental Impact Assessment Act (Act No. 6 of 2005)(Cap. 65:07) and Atmospheric Pollution (Prevention) Act (Chapter 65:03) all ofwhich tend to bend every human activity towards alignment with the ecofriendly practices. However, all the legal regulations and guiding principles do
not refer to the Eco-innovation concept directly. Lately, Botswana has initiatedthe incorporation of Eco-innovation related aspects in its energy sector like the
Botswana Biomass Energy Strategy of 2009. Guidelines are being drafted on
renewable energy tariffs paving way for incorporation into the national grid. The
2017 renewable energy strategy is being used to guide the drafting of theguidelines. These strategies have ensured the production of energy that is
supplied is produced and used in a socially, economically and environmentally
sustainable manner.
b) Ghana
Ghana's blueprint for sustainable socio-economic development is the Vision2020 document put together by the National Development Planning
Commission (NDPC) is embedded with the Eco-innovation principles supporting
the environmental sectors. Eco-innovation, green economy, green growth, clean
development mechanisms and related concepts have in recent years been
considered in Ghana’s development plans, policies and strategies. The 1992
Constitution provides a broad policy basis for the protection of the environment
in Ghana. Specifically, the basis of Environmental Policy in Ghana is grounded in
Article 36(9) of the 1992 Constitution. The direct principles of State policy
place a responsibility on every Ghanaian and the government to protect andsafeguard the environment for posterity. It explicitly requires the government
to take relevant steps aimed at the protection and defence of the national
environment for future generations. The government is expected to do this incollaboration with appropriate agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency,(EPA) an agency of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation (MESTI), established by EPA Act 490 (1994) oversees theimplementations of National Environmental Policy under the areas ofenvironmental innovations. The Agency has the authority to act onenvironmental protection in Ghana and ensures compliance of businesses with
Ghanaian environment and social laws in embracing the aspect of eco-friendly
7 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

environment. The EPA issues fines and penalties for businesses that are not incompliance with embracing the environmental friendliness Acts. The Minerals
and Mining Act of 2006 in Ghana requires that, among other things, a holder ofa mining license, before commencing mining activities, must obtain thenecessary environmental permits that are meant to ensure the protection of theenvironment and other key principles of Eco-innovation.
c) Kenya
There exist several legal regulations and guiding principles on Eco-innovation in
Kenya aligned to the different sectors that oversee and regulate the different
aspects of Eco-innovation. The Environmental Management and Coordination
Act (EMCA) No. 8 of 1999 was the first Kenyan Environmental Framework thatwas designed to regulate environmental issues. The promulgation of theConstitution of Kenya 2010 and other Policies like the Climate Change Policy of2013 marked an important chapter in Kenya’s environmental policy
development acting as an umbrella for innovation under the Environmental Act.
Chapter V of the 2010 constitution is entirely dedicated to land and environmentand hence providing a key space for Eco-innovation development. The provisionstates that "Every person has a duty to cooperate with State organs and otherpersons to protect and conserve the environment and ensure ecologicallysustainable development and use of natural resources." However, many
sectoral policies and laws are not harmonized with each other and with theConstitution. The sectoral policies, laws and regulations targeting theenvironment, forest, water, trade and industry which have great significancehave not been integrated and interlinked into one ecosystem coordinatedregulations thus, the innovations developed only fall into the different
independent sectors. For example, there are innovations for industries that may
be embraced but have negative impacts on the environment and yet are
beneficial to the industrial sector for growth. Also, the National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan and environment action plan embrace most of the Ecoinnovation aspects. The Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation
Plan (GESIP) 2016-2030 3 focusses on the binding challenges that Kenya faces in
the attainment of Vision 2030. It aims to ensure a low carbon, resource-efficient,equitable and inclusive socio-economic transformation. Kenya led the banningof plastic bags in 2017 as proposed by EAC in the year 2011. The plastics bags
were replaced with alternatives made from biodegradable materials in line with
Eco-innovation principles and practices.

https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/national-documents/kenya-green-economy-strategy-andimplementation-plan-2016-2030
3

8 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africad) Malawi
The Constitution of Malawi provides for the Environment ensuring that it ismanaged responsibly, not degraded, provides a healthy living and working
environment for the people of Malawi, accords full recognition to the rights offuture generations through environmental protection and the sustainable
development of natural resources and conservation and enhancement of thebiological diversity. The constitution, therefore, provides a basis for pushing for
Eco-innovation and increased recognition of ecological aspects and wellbeing of
the people and not just economic benefits which are in line with the principle of
Eco-innovation. The sparing perennial rainfall has necessitated the growth of thegreen innovation centre which is aimed at churning out innovations thatminimize the deteriorations of the environment therefore protecting the more
important agricultural sector. The Environment Management Act, 2017 (No. 19
of 2017) provides for actions that prevent harmful environmental practice andembrace all activities geared towards protecting the environment.
e) Nigeria
In Nigeria, there are policies designed to create harmony in the pursuit ofknowledge about the environment through Research and Development (R&D).
They include the National Science and Technology Policy (1986) and National
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2012). The five-year Science,
Technology and Innovation Plan of Action 2019-2024 incorporates the ideas thatbide well with Eco-innovation. The revised Science and Technology Policyemphasizes on “innovation”, which has become a global tool for fast-tracking
sustainable development. The aspect of Eco-innovation has been portrayed in
the pulp and paper industry where a strong relationship between the adoptionof green technologies and financial performance and operational efficiency has
been demonstrated. The National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Policy of 2015 for instance aims to ultimately increase the efficiency, security
and reliability of energy supply, thus improving the people’s living standards andalso reduce the negative environmental impacts such as air, water and soil
pollution. Furthermore, compared to other RECIRCULATE4 project implementing
countries, the Nigerian Bio-fuel Policy and Incentives of 2007 established athriving fuel ethanol industry by utilizing agricultural products as a means ofimproving the quality of automotive fossil-based fuels. This strategy aimed at
reducing Ozone pollution, reduction in particulate emissions and replacementof toxic octane enhancers in gasoline.

4

http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/recirculate/

9 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

f) Zambia
Whereas there are no explicit policies that are supporting and putting Ecoinnovation into practice in Zambia, there are many policies geared towards
developing STI and environmental sectors in the country. Eco-innovation is a
new concept that is not found in any of Zambia’s policy documents. Zambia's
Vision 2030 (2006-2030) focuses on three priority sectors: Economic growth andwealth creation; Social investment and human development; and creating an
enabling environment for sustainable social-economic development. The Ecoinnovation related aspects are entrenched in the green economy and verystrong environmental policies. The country has numerous good policies
targeting the different sectors such as environment, energy, forestry andagriculture with very strong emphasis on sustainability. For instance, the Energy
Regulation (Amendment) Act (2003) and the National Science and Technology
Act. 26 which tend to bend all the innovation to be aligned to Eco-innovation
practices. The Zambia’s new National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
2020 recognizes that the macroeconomic stability of the country’s economy inthe past years is largely driven innovations in the following key sectors of mining,
agriculture, livestock, health, manufacturing, energy and education.
6. Conclusion
Eco-innovation in Africa is fairly a new term but the concept has always been
there and implemented partially through other related concepts such as green
economy, green growth, clean development mechanisms, and circular economy
among others. This concept covers any innovation resulting in significant
progress towards the goal of sustainable development, by reducing the impacts
of production modes on the environment, enhancing nature's resilience toenvironmental pressures, or achieving more efficient and responsible use ofnatural resources. The demand for Eco-innovations is increasing across theglobe as a way of mitigating the prevalent economic and environmental
challenges at the same time. However, many countries especially in Africa are
not conversant with the term Eco-innovation though they embrace various
aspects of it in their existing policies and programmes. It is also evident thatmost other African countries do not have explicit Eco-innovation policies andstrategies to guide and support Eco-innovation development. This is no different
in the six (6) RECIRCULATE project implementing countries: Kenya, Ghana,
Nigeria, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. Results however show that thesecountries do not have stand-alone Eco-innovation policies but Eco-innovation
principles and practices are implied in their numerous sectoral policies. The
constitutions of most of the countries have emphasized most of the Ecoinnovation principles. The Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
10 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

(Water, Forestry & Mining included), STI, Energy, health, Trade & Industry andTransport are among the key sectors cutting across the study countries that have
Eco-innovation related policies, principles, practices and strategies. It was also
noted that the National Visions, development plans and strategies in the study
countries have aspects of Eco-innovation entrenched in them. The countries are
signatories to different international statutes and are members of Regional
bodies that have policies that enhance environmental protection, sustainable
development in addition to economic development as depicted in the Ecoinnovation principles.
7. Policy Recommendations
In order to enhance Eco-innovation development in the study countries, thereis need to strengthen the already existing STI policy and institutional landscapes.
The STI implementation infrastructure provides a basis to anchor Eco-innovationand tweak the focus in the generation and use of STI to accommodate Ecoinnovation. The current policies should be re-oriented to support Eco-innovation
activities across different sectors. The policies should consider a holistic view of
Eco-innovation, not only focussing on the resource utilization but the entire life
cycle process, including re-use and recycling. The study countries need toaddress several issues to fully embrace Eco-innovation development. These are
elaborated in the recommendations below:
Recommendation 1: Increase funding and resource allocation for research anddevelopment
Increasing funding for R&D in the case study countries is critical in Ecoinnovation development. This has been identified as a major gap in all the study
countries as funds allocated for research are not sufficient. Increasing funding
can be done through increasing allocation for R&D and/or identifying newcollaborative arrangements for technology research, development anddemonstration, including financing through public-private partnerships. It is also
important to support Eco-innovation R&D using relevant policy instruments.
Policy instruments should incentivize more investment and development of new
Eco-innovation projects, by both public and private stakeholders. There needs
to be real commitments to mobilizing financial resources from both public andprivate sources as well as increasing international cooperation efforts for STI and
Eco-innovation by extension.
Recommendation 2: Enact a standalone policy on Eco-innovation
There is need to re-orient the existing policies through amendments or develop
new ones to support a stand-alone Eco-innovation policy that will consider a
11 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

holistic view of innovation and sustainability with focus on the entire life cycle
process, including re-use and recycling and not just resource utilization. For thesustainability of Eco-innovation in the study countries, it is important to address
the legal issues around innovations. This is because unsupportive bottlenecks inlegislation and government licensing procedures make people shy away frombusiness opportunities and innovations. Protection of Intellectual Property
Rights should be emphasized. The cost of a patent is very high for many
innovators. There is need to reduce the amounts charged or get the costs
subsidized. New markets for eco-friendly innovations and technologies shouldbe established locally. This will ensure that all innovators can market theirproducts, thus creating a good business opportunity for them. In doing so, theyshould ensure that the government is always on-board to make the entire
process easier. There is need to improve policy alignment around Ecoinnovation and strengthen coordination of the implementation of the policies
across the sectors. Effective inter-ministerial coordination and harmonization ofpolicies is key to entrenching Eco-innovation. The development of innovation
systems requires coordinated policy interventions both within government lineministries and between key STI institutions.
Recommendation 3: Build a common vision for Eco-innovation and a solid
system for measuring progress
Fill up the gap in the understanding of Eco-innovation through massive
sensitization and advocacy activities and conducting in-depth case studies. This
could form the basis for developing a common future vision for environmentallyfriendly social systems and roadmaps to achieve a common goal in Africa. A
common definition and a scoreboard for benchmarking Eco-innovation activities
vis a vis public policy by combining and analysing different statistics and dataneed to be developed. This will require the development of indicators along withthe definition that can easily be measured by African countries. To measure theprogress and trend in achieving this goal, it is important to develop a common
system similar to the Global Innovation Index to serve as a basis for ranking
nations.
Recommendation 4: Realign academic curricular to include Eco-innovation in
all disciplines
In order to ensure the sustainability of Eco-innovation, academic curricula at alllevels of education should be aligned with the Eco-innovation principles. This is
one way of ensuring that the community is well sensitized and knowledgeable
about Eco-innovation, thus bridging the knowledge gap with potentials forachieving transformational change. This will help to orient learners to Eco12 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

innovation careers for the future sustainability of Eco-innovation. In addition toacademic curricula review, it is also important for governments to be cognizanceof gender inequalities and the plight of women folk, youth and people living withdisabilities in terms of academic support towards Eco-innovation.

13 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

References
Bertelsmann-Scott, T (2020). The Circular Economy: Including Africa in Europe’s
Circle.
PolicyBriefing
No.
218.
Accessedfrom:https://saiia.org.za/research/the-circular-economy-including-africa-ineuropes-circle/
European Commission (2016). Green jobs – a success story in Europe. Available
at: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/efe/themes/economics-strategyand-information/green-jobs-successstory-europe_en
Eco-innovation Observatory (EIO) Annual Report. (2010). Pathways to a
resource-efficient
Europe.
Available
at:www.ecoinnovation.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=200&Ite
mid=258
Hajer, M., Nilsson, M., Raworth, K., Bakker, P., Berkhout, F., De Boer, Y.,
Rockström, J., Ludwig, K., and Kok, M. (2015). Beyond Cockpit-ism: Four
Insights to Enhance the Transformative Potential of the Sustainable
Development Goals. Sustainability 2015, 7, 1651–1660.
Jo, J., Roh. T. W., Kim, S., Youn, Y., Park, M. S., Han, K. J. and Jang, E. K. (2015).
Eco-Innovation for Sustainability: Evidence from 49 Countries in Asia andEurope.
Sustainability,
7,
16820–16835.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su71215849
Munodawafa, R. T. and Johl, S. K. (2019). A Systematic Review of Eco-innovationand performance from the Resource-Based and Stakeholder perspective:
Department of Management and Humanities; UniversitiTeknologi
PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia.
Nnaji, J. C. and Igbuku, A. (2019). Improving the Eco-Innovation Status of Africa
using Sustainable Chemistry Principles. European Journal of Sustainable3(1),em0068.
Development
Research,https://doi.org/10.20897/ejosdr/3934
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], (2009).
Sustainable Manufacturing and Eco-innovation- Framework, Practices andMeasurement: Synthesis Report. Paris: OECD. Accessed from:https://www.oecd.org/innovation/inno/43423689.pdf
OECD, (2011). Better Policies to Support Eco-innovation. OECD Studies on
Environmental
Innovation.
OECD
Publishing,Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264096684-en
OECD and Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) (2005), Oslo
Manual: Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting Innovation Data (3rded.), OECD, Paris.
Reid, A. and Miedzinski, M., (2008). Eco-innovation. Final report for sectoral
innovation watch. Technopolis group, Europe Innova.
14 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief Series• Institutional Landscape for Eco-innovation Development in Africa (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 60)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic Agriculture in
Benin (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 59)• Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Kenya (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 58)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic Agriculture in
Senegal (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 57)• Advancing Ecological Organic Agriculture in Nigeria (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 56)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic Agriculture in
Rwanda (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 55)• Bridging Climate Information Gaps to Strengthen Capacities for Climate
Informed Decision (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 54)• Embracing Open Contracting in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.53)• The Digital Revolution, Open Science, and Innovation for Open Science
Development in sub-Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 52)• Nouvelles approaches de financement de la recherché et de L’innovationen Afrique (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 51)• New Approaches for Funding Research and Innovation in Africa (ATPSTechnopolicy Brief No. 50)• Towards Effective Public-Private Partnerships in Research and Innovation:
A perspective for African Science Granting Councils (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 49)• Innovative Practices and Policies for Promoting Biodiversity Informatics in
Sub Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 48)• Improving the Relevance of University Training to Labour Market
Demands in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.47)

15 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

• Developing Policies for Biodiversity Informatics in sub-SaharanAfrica (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 46)• ICTs role in Agricultural Development: Prospects of Land Potential
Knowledge System [LandPKS] (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 45)• Mainstreaming Gender in the National Science, Technology andInnovation (STI) Policy of Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 44)• Social Innovation: An untapped Resource for Inclusive Green Growth(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 43)• Policy Axes that can uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change
Adaptation & Food Security in Central Africa: Case of Cameroon,
Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief
No. 42)• Frameworks for Intellectual Property Protection of Traditional Knowledge
in Tanzania (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 41)• Assessment of Possible Intellectual Property Protection Options of
Traditional Knowledge System in Ethiopia (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.
40)• Towards influencing National Legislation, Policies, Strategies andProgrammes for appropriate Protection and Benefit-Sharing of Traditional
Knowledge (TK) with and by Traditional Herbalists in Uganda. (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No 39)• Traditional Healers and their provision of Mental Health Services in
Cosmopolitan Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 38)• Policy Implications for Intellectual Property Systems for Traditional
Healers in Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 37)• Incidence of Indigenous and Innovative Climate Change Adaptation
Practices for Smallholder Framers’ Livelihood Security in Chikhwawa
District, Southern Malawi. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.36)• Machobane Farming System and its Relevance to Climate Change Policyin Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 35)

16 | Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
is a transdisciplinary network of researchers,
policymakers, private sector actors and the civil society
promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of Science, Technology and Innovations (STI)
for African development, environmental sustainability
and global inclusion. In collaboration with like-minded
institutions, ATPS provides platforms for regional andinternational research and knowledge sharing in orderto build Africa’s capabilities in STI policy research,
policymaking and implementation for sustainable
development.

African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Contact Executive Director:
executivedirector@atpsnet.org
8th Floor Chancery Building,Valley Road
P. O. Box 10081-00100, Nairobi
Tel: +254 (020) 2714092
www.atpsnet.org

Science Technology and Innovation
for African Development
ISBN: 978-9966-124-79-1