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This study intends to contribute to the literature of eco-innovation by examining the pro-environmental intentions and behaviour among consumers through their understanding of eco-innovation. Thus, the relationship among eco-innovation, general pro-social attitude, generativity, environmental concern, purchasing intentions and buying environmentally friendly products and the differences of the relationship between high and low emotional loyalty and Generation Y and Z were investigated via structural equation modelling (SEM).

Data were collected through an online questionnaire directed to Indian consumers, and analysis was done through partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in two stages, i.e. measurement model and structural model.

Results confirm the relationships established in the proposed model, and some differences were found between the levels of emotional loyalty and the Generations Y and Z. The research shows that individualistic norms and perceived marketplace influence play a purposeful role in transforming environmental concerns into buying behaviour towards eco-innovation-driven products.

From a policy and management perspective, the results not only imply the importance of continuous performance and environmental improvement but also those policies hindering diffusion and adoption need to be addressed. Green buying is an elusive task but can be opportunely attained by marketers by adding elements of eco-innovations and understanding mindsets of consumers to create win–win situations for themselves and consumers.

The results reinforced that emotional loyalty and Generations Y and Z vitally impact consumers' green buying decision within the framework of eco-innovation and cognitive factors.

This chapter proposes frugal eco-innovation as an eco-efficient way into which firms might shift their existing business models, exploring how firms are able to cut costs and reduce negative environmental impacts simultaneously.

This work introduces the concept of frugal eco-innovation based on numerous examples about how several European companies are adopting this management perspective. These examples are obtained from these companies’ public environmental reports.

A summary of how cost reduction could be achieved by firms on the basis of frugal eco-innovation; further, the pathway for how managers could achieve an effective implementation of frugal eco-innovation.

By developing frugal eco-innovation, managers are able to benefit from a management alternative that is ecologically sustainable and economically profitable.

This work highlights how frugal eco-innovation could benefit, on the one hand, firms via the achievement of cost reduction and, on the other hand, the society in general via the diminution of the negative environmental impacts generated by the business activity.

This work analyses a management orientation that could be implemented in order to shift business models towards a more ecological production, highlighting how firms are able to do more with less.

In a context of ecological transition, this study aims to explore and understand what fosters the participation of purchasing departments and identify the drivers and difficulties encountered during the development of eco-innovation within firms.

The authors adopt a qualitative methodology that provides tools to study complex phenomena. In-depth interviews with highly knowledgeable respondents from multi-sectoral organisations enable us to explore the eco-innovation process within firms.

From the perspectives of resource-based theory and stakeholder theory, the study contributes to the literature by investigating firms’ internal resources and exploring further dimensions based on sustainable supply chain management and purchasing. Internal stakeholders (e.g. purchasing agents) and external stakeholders (e.g. suppliers) were identified with regard to the business eco-innovation activities of focal companies in relation to upstream stakeholders. The authors examine this complex phenomenon by raising certain intra- and inter-organisational factors, as well as more individual aspects, such as the sensitivity of the purchasing manager to ecological transition. Purchasing agents are involved in increasing the propensity of organisations to eco-innovate and, as internal stakeholders, appear to be influential in eco-innovation.

Given the nascent state of eco-innovation practice and accessibility to primary data about ongoing efforts, this research could not consider all possible drivers.

This study presents an opportunity for purchasing managers to understand challenges more comprehensively to add value within the eco-innovation process. The results highlight recommendations for how best to undertake eco-innovation in upstream supply chains.

The study provides new insights into the constituent resources needed for purchasing participation during eco-innovation to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This paper is an initial attempt at research in the area.

This study analyzed the multilevel barriers and facilitators of technological eco-innovations.

The authors carried out an in-depth case study in a Brazilian cosmetics company, recognized for its eco-innovative initiatives, which has the technological eco-innovation of products as a central sustainability strategy.

The results contribute to the existing literature, showing that multilevel analysis is effective for minimizing barriers and increasing facilitators, especially through the company's adoption of an eco-innovation strategy and planning methodologies. The authors identified four groups of barriers: market, raw material, governmental and company's internal factors; and four groups of facilitators: legislation, market and technological innovation, communication and environmental management.

The original research results contribute both to the literature and to the companies that aim to implement eco-innovative measures. The results showed that the adoption of innovation strategies and planning methodologies by the company can minimize barriers and enhance facilitators. In addition the fact is that barriers and facilitators of implementing eco-innovations are dynamic factors that require continuous monitoring since they can be a barrier in one circumstance and a facilitator in another.

The fashion industry is diverse and demands a high amount of resources and labor for its operation. It has powerful tools that can positively impact the environment and society as a whole. In this sense, it becomes necessary for fashion to adopt sustainable strategies quickly. One way would be the adoption of eco-innovations by companies in the sector. The objective of this research is to identify the main eco-innovation initiatives carried out by companies in the fashion sector and to verify what the trend is in the sector in relation to the types of eco-innovation, whether technological or non-technological in nature.

To meet the objective, the sector’s sustainability reports are analyzed based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) initiative. The method used to treat the data is content analysis. The authors chose to use the GRI-G4 and GRI-Standards versions of the GRI structure, as they include topics relevant to its stakeholders. The analysis based on these criteria considers 18 reports prepared by four companies (Cia Hering, Grupo Malwee, Dudalina and Lojas Renner).

From the data analysis, it was noticed that eco-innovations of technological trends prevail in Brazilian fashion, in the first place, those of process (24.56%), followed by eco-innovations of product (10.53%). The pressure exerted by internal or external stakeholders will be fueled by the current scenario of sustainable development, positively influencing the adoption of eco-innovation. This characteristic can be attributed to the fashion sector, since technological eco-innovations overlap with non-technological ones in all the years that make up the analysis.

As limitations of this research, it is worth mentioning the availability of GRIs in the fashion sector. Even considering it a step forward, noting that larger companies support the adoption of these reports, it is important to highlight that only four companies make up the available database (Cia Hering, Lojas Renner, Dudalina and Malwee). From the adoption of the dissemination of sustainability reports by other organizations, the base could be expanded.

From this study, practical questions emerge that can contribute to managers and companies in the Brazilian fashion sector. Initially, the focus on eco-innovations is predominantly related to the technological component, with an emphasis on process eco-innovations. In this sense, business actions seek to resolve the accusations normally attributed to the sector, such as the adoption of unsustainable practices. For example, in cotton production, firms use large amounts of pesticides and water, despite the sector being accused of not taking proper responsibility regarding sustainability related issues.

Investment in eco-innovations indicates a positive attitude and change resulting from pressure and the need to return the market to society’s demands for more sustainable production technologies with less environmental impact.

The originality of the study lies in the systematization of a GRI analysis model applied to measure eco-innovations in fashion. Through the applied methodology, it is possible to emphasize that eco-innovations of technological trend prevail in the industry, first in processes and then in product development.

This study aims to investigate the drivers of three main eco-innovation types within the manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt, as well as to examine the impact of these types in sustaining competitive advantage.

The positivist methodological paradigm is adopted in this study, with 183 valid questionnaires collected from the owners and executives of manufacturing SMEs. The SmartPLS has been used to analyse the data.

Results show that internal drivers (organisational capabilities, absorptive capacity and strategically environmental orientation) affect eco-innovation types. External drivers (regulation, eco-friendly products demand and competitive advantage) do not significantly affect eco-innovation types. The results also reveal that both eco-organisational and eco-process innovations significantly affect sustainable competitive advantage.

This study has presented valuable insights for owners and executives of SMEs and policymakers in the business and manufacturing industry.

This study has presented valuable insights for literature on eco-innovation, owners and executives of SMEs and policymakers manufacturing industry to depth-understanding of drivers of eco-innovation types. in addition, the role of eco-innovation types in sustaining competitive advantage for SMEs has been a significant contribution to eco-innovation literature.

Despite unanimity in the literature that eco-innovation (EI) leads to sustainable development, evidence remains limited on measuring EI efficiency with the Malmquist productivity index (MPI). In conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) models, decision-making units (DMUs) are inclined to assign more favorable weights, even zero, to the inputs and outputs to maximize their own efficiency. This paper aims to overcome this shortcoming by developing a common set of weights (CSW).

Using goal programming, this study develops a CSW model to evaluate the EI efficiency of the organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) countries and track their changes with MPI during 2010–2018.

Achieving a complete ranking of DMUs, findings show the higher discrimination power of the proposed CSW compared with the original DEA models. Furthermore, results reveal that Iceland, Latvia and Luxembourg are the only OECD countries that have incessantly improved their EI productivity (MPI > 1) from 2010 to 2018. On the other hand, Japan is the OECD country that has experienced the highest yearly EI efficiency during 2010–2018. This paper also found that Iceland has the highest MPI over 2010–2018.

More investment in environmental research and development (R&D) projects instead of generic R&D enables OECD members to realize more opportunities for sustainable development through minimizing energy use and environmental pollution in any form of waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to developing a novel common weights model for DEA-MPI to measure and evaluate the EI of OECD countries, this paper develops a CSW model by including the undesirable outputs for EI analysis.

This research focuses on establishing relationships between eco-innovation and organisational innovation and innovation in general to characterise organisational eco-innovation in European Union companies. We also aim to investigate the forms of innovations that eco-innovative companies use as well as the factors or determinants of eco-innovation in the corporate environment that impel the use of organisational innovation.

We use the estimation of different binary logistic regression models with maximum likelihood applied to a sample obtained from the Eurostat's Community Innovation Survey 2014 database as a starting point.

The results suggest that the type of organisational innovation most closely related to eco-innovation is found in work responsibility and decision-making methods. Some less frequently studied significant factors are highlighted, such as training or aspects related to intellectual capital and knowledge management, since significant indications of the importance and acquisition of existing know-how have appeared, in contrast to internal knowledge generation.

The study seeks to observe what specific quantitative drivers (external or internal) are used for organisational eco-innovation, as a specific subtype of eco-innovation. This can improve our understanding of the ways in which organisational innovation can be used by corporations to provide environmental benefits. The academic literature provides information on the drivers and determinants for both organisational innovation and eco-innovation separately, but we believe this article offers a new approach by looking at the specific eco-innovation drivers achieved through organisational innovation.

The presentation of the specificities inherent in the adoption of the cooperation practices for the eco-innovation development is sometimes fragmented and superficial in the literature. So, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how the literature has studied the association between interorganizational cooperation and the development of eco-innovation, for the developing a framework with the different faces of this connection.

To achieve the proposed objective, the authors conducted a literature review through the Web of Science database. The selected manuscripts were analyzed from the following categories: Why to cooperate?, What is cooperation?, How to cooperate?, Who to cooperate with?, How much is it worth to cooperate?, Where does cooperation take place?, When to cooperate?, and So what?.

Given the proposed objective, as a general aspect highlighted, the analyzed articles revealed that interorganizational cooperation has been presented as relevant for the development of eco-innovations. Thus, cooperation on their different faces allows companies to overcome resource constraints, even partially, while facilitating the development of different types of ecological innovations as costs and risks are reduced.

The theoretical contribution is expected to be the proposition of a framework capable of systematizing several specificities, including the antecedents and motivations, definitions and cooperation types, cooperation partners, important conditions that highlight how much cooperation is worth, where and when cooperation occurs and, finally, the main insights of this association, to guide future studies.

Circular economy is emerging as a new sustainability paradigm. Similarly, eco-innovation is being recognized as one of the most important mechanisms that allow the transition from a linear to a circular economy in production processes, as there is a strong relationship between eco-innovation (eco-innovation of products, processes and management) and circular economy activities. However, the relationship between eco-innovation and circular economy is an issue that has been isolated and little analyzed in the academic literature. Therefore, this research fills this gap by exploring the interdependence between eco-innovation and circular economy.

The research is conducted through an extensive literature review from where a research framework consisting of two measurement scales, 18 items and three hypotheses were developed. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed and 460 responses were obtained from companies in the automotive and auto parts industry in Mexico. The data obtained were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling.

The results suggest that eco-innovation of products, process and management has a significant positive impact on the circular economy of companies in the automotive and auto parts industry.

The findings of this research can inform managers in the automotive sector and policymakers when formulating and deploying environmentally sustainable strategies.

This paper fills a research gap by expanding the limited body of knowledge that relates eco-innovation and circular economy and providing some evidence of their relationship. The research also allows the unique characteristics of eco-innovation and the circular economy to be understood within a particular context, growing in this manner the body of knowledge on this field.