Cleaner production for achieving the sustainable development goals

Abstract Cleaner production is a lively concept in which new procedures and technologies constantly emerge introducing methods and practices to prevent damages to the environment. A broad range of cleaner production initiatives contribute to sustainable development not only through the efficient management of resources and energy, but also through the development of new and smart technologies, new ways of assisting policies development, and organizing supply chains, sectors and individual companies. The authors of this Virtual Special Issue sought to introduce first-hand knowledge and discussions identifying and highlighting the ways cleaner production can contribute to reach the United Nations sustainable development targets. The intent of the Virtual Special Issue is to provide an overview of the recent trends that cleaner production practitioners/researchers are following in the chase of the sustainable development goals, and in this context, this editorial was designed to summarize and underscore the link between cleaner production concepts and practices and the sustainable development goals. An adequate response to this challenge required scientific knowledge and reassessment of the papers ensuring that the science is responsive to the evolving needs of sustainable development. This Virtual Special Issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production is mainly dedicated to the 7th International Workshop on Advances in Cleaner Production, held at Universidad de La Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia on 21–22 June 2018. Based upon the examination of the papers of this Virtual Special Issue, the authors were able to establish that there is an pressing need for research on the assessment on which/when cleaner production interventions are more effective; inter and multidisciplinary cooperation among social and technical scientists to distinguish and address the cleaner production/sustainable development goals interactions and connect cleaner production solutions and large-scale sustainability approaches.