Cleaner production and environmental management as sustainable product innovation antecedents: A survey in Brazilian industries

- Measure the relations between the conditions for sustainable product innovation.
- Framework analysis on the relations cleaner production.
- Sustainable product innovation antecedents.
- Survey in 762 companies of different sizes in Metal-Mechanic Brazilian industry.

Cleaner production methods and environmental management practices are tools that strive for production process efficiency, the use of its input and the generation of industrial waste. These tools can significantly contribute to sustainable product innovation, due to the rational use of natural resources and the minimization of generated wastes. This study aims to measure the relations between the conditions for sustainable product innovation, considering the constructs of cleaner production and environmental management. It also examines the relationship between sustainable conditions and product innovation and financial performance as well as the size of the moderating effect of the companies on the relationship between the constructs. In this context, a Survey in 762 companies of different sizes was carried out in a leading metal-mechanic sector in Brazil. Structural Equation Modeling methods were used for results analysis. The research highlights that both Cleaner production and Environmental Management influence positively the achievement of Sustainable Product Innovation. The surveyed companies developing Sustainable Product Innovation Financial had higher performance in comparison to other companies. Another result of this study shows the strong relationship between the constructs “Cleaner production” and “Environmental Management”. It is recommended that companies combine these constructs to increase the results of sustainable innovation and financial gain. Accordingly, the way for companies to produce new environmentally sustainable products is through the presence of cleaner production and environmental management practices. The scientific value of this research is to provide for the academic community a framework for the analysis of the relations of the categories constitutes the main contribution, as well as providing management information to decide on the implementation of sustainability programs, resulting in higher financial gains through product innovations sustainable.