## 1 Introduction  
The global community set sustainable development as a goal for present and future generations at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Sustainable development is \"a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations\" [1]. According to Principle 11 of Rio's Declaration on Environment and Development, which was agreed upon by 108 states, states shall enact effective environmental legislation to achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people [1]. Agenda 21 acknowledged that business and industry play a crucial role in reducing impacts on resource use and the environment through more efficient production processes, preventive strategies, and cleaner production technologies and procedures. In this context, eco-innovation emerged as an important pathway towards sustainable development in the business sector. OECD's report [2] clearly states eco-innovation's important role in pursuing green growth policy agendas at the national level. Eco-innovation can be a key catalyst for promoting and implementing green growth because it promotes all forms of innovation that reduce environmental impacts and strengthen resilience to environmental pressures. As one effort toward sustainable development, eco-innovation leads the transition to a green economy. A green economy is a method to realize sustainable development at national, regional, and global levels in ways that resonate with and diffuse the implementation of Agenda 21 [3]. As the first to test eco-innovation, European countries initiated various eco-innovation tools that fostered regional programs, including an Environmental Technology Action Plan (ETAP), Eco-Innovation Action Plan (EcoAP), Accelerating Eco-innovation Policies (ECOPOL), and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Program (CIP). Since then, other non-European countries have followed the European Commission and European governments' steps to develop national strategies and regional roadmaps for stimulating eco-innovation [2]. In academia, most prior research on eco-innovation examined eco-innovation in developed countries, with a focus on European countries [4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9]. There were a few case studies on eco-innovation in developing countries, such as India [10], Taiwan [11; 12; 13; 14; 15], Japan [16], and the Republic of Korea [17]. It is important to pay attention to eco-innovation in developing countries, especially in Asian countries. Currently, the total population of Asian countries constitutes 55.0% of the world's population. Their total gross domestic product (GDP) reflects up to 32.7% of world's total GDP [18]. The economic growth of emerging economies in Asia is rapidly increasing and has attracted manufacturing facilities of multinational companies. As such, Asian countries' environmental burden is high and Asian countries' CO\({}_{2}\) emissions from fuel combustion constitute 67.8% of the world's CO\({}_{2}\) emissions [19]. Implementing eco-innovation in Asian countries may contribute to achieving global sustainable development as well as green growth. The role of the government is crucial for implementing and diffusing eco-innovation at the national level. Governments can develop social structures that enable producing eco-friendly goods and services [20]. Introducing governmental policies is often required at the earliest stage of eco-innovation. Governments can establish and implement policy instruments for eco-innovation, such as environmental regulations, financial schemes, and programs for supporting R&D and fostering eco-markets [21]. Policy instruments can motivate business and industry to attempt to implement eco-innovation as a policy goal [22].