FOREWORD

The Asia-Pacific region has become a world center of manufacturing with its abundant, hardworking labor force. The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) strongly believes that greening supply chains is one of the best concepts aimed at linking manufacturing with sustainable economic development in the region. More specifically, the goal is to incorporate consideration for the environment into every stage of the supply chains, from the very beginning of the product life till the end, making all chains green. The APO selected the greening of supply chains as a main theme and is working to ensure that Asian governments and enterprises promote the use of environment-friendly products and services as a fundamental strategy.

The fourth edition of the Eco-products Directory is being released in conjunction with the opening of the Eco-products International Fair 2008 in Hanoi, Vietnam in March. The publication has been extensively revised and updated and is now even easier to use and understand. Nearly 20 pages have been added, including enhanced descriptions of many features and new topics such as “rationale for the Eco-products Directory 2008” and “main news and topics related to the environment.”

While the global warming issue forces us to make efforts to use resources and energy efficiently and to reconsider socioeconomic activities and lifestyles that involve large volumes of production, consumption and waste, more than 700 products or services are contained in the Eco-products Directory 2008, especially more than 400 are categorized as effective in preventing global warming. I hope that this publication will contribute to an appreciation and expansion of eco-product and -service markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Our sincere thanks go to Professor Ryoichi Yamamoto, Chairperson of the Committee on the Eco-products Database, and all members of the working group for their dedicated leadership and efforts that made this publication possible.

Shigeo Takenaka, Secretary-General
Tokyo, January 2008