The goal of an EIP is to improve the economic performance of the participating companies while minimizing the environmental impact. Lowe, Ernest A., Steven R. Moran and Douglas B, Holmes. 1996. Fieldbook for the Development of Eco-Industrial Parks. A report prepared by Indigo Development, subcontractor to Research Triangle Institute, Center for Economics Research, for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Robert M. White, President, National Academy of Engineering.
Industrial ecology is a context for designing and operating industrial systems.
It seeks to balance environmental and economic performance within emerging understanding of local and global ecological constraints. It supports coordination of design over the life cycle of products and processes. A report prepared by Indigo Development and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. President's Council on Sustainable Development , Eco-Efficiency Task Force Report. The Brownsville Eco-Industrial Park is unique in that tenants will not be physically located together in an industrial park setting.