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The purpose of this paper is to benchmark current adoption of green chemistry (GC) practices by the innovative and generic pharmaceutical companies and examine the drivers, barriers and future opportunities.

The authors examined publicly available data for the top 10 “big pharma” and top ten generic drug manufacturers. Using the IQ Green Chemistry working group framework for effective GC programs, they scored each of the 20 companies in seven key areas.

The study finds that generic drug companies have not embraced GC at the level of the innovative pharmaceutical companies (average GC score of 2 vs 11 for “big pharma”). Top two barriers for them include: lack of pressure and incentives, and the burdensome regulatory process for making changes in the manufacturing process.

The research is based on publicly disclosed information. It is possible that some generic drug manufacturers have begun to work internally on GC but have not disclosed externally yet. Future research should include a survey or interviews of generic drug manufacturers.

The company-level analysis, benchmarking framework and results are of value for researchers and practitioners interested in advancing greater adoption of GC by the pharmaceutical industry.

This study provides the first company-level benchmarking of GC adoption by the largest innovative and generics drug manufacturers. It contributes to the literature on the barriers and drivers for greater adoption of GC.

The purpose of this paper is to review and update Devens eco-industrial park sustainability indicators and benchmark progress made since 2000 in the seven key areas of its sustainability vision.

The authors examined publicly available data for Devens, Massachusetts, and obtained additional data from Devens Enterprise Commission and a survey of 29 local organizations.

Of the 43 indicators adopted by Devens eco-industrial park in 2012, 29 demonstrate progress, seven show lack of progress, six point to a potential progress, and for one no information was available in 2000 to evaluate progress. Most progress has been made in the areas of transportation, business and economic sustainability, governance and natural resources.

For some proposed indicators no data were available to evaluate progress (e.g. waste generation, recycling, compositing, and landfill diversion) yet these are among the key measures for an eco-industrial park.

Proposed framework, indicators and lessons learned are of value for researchers and practitioners at other eco-industrial parks (EIPs) interested in benchmarking progress toward sustainable local development.

The case provides insights on integrating sustainability in local economic development.

The study is paving the way toward development of a standardized set of sustainability indicators for EIPs in the USA.

Ten years after the Earth Summit, a frequently asked question is how much, if any, progress has actually been made toward sustainable development. This article provides insight into the progress made by business in addressing and measuring progress toward sustainable production. Using a five‐level indicator hierarchy developed at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, the authors analyzed the environmental sustainability indicators voluntarily‐reported by six pharmaceutical companies, half of which are Global Reporting Initiative pilots. Results demonstrate that most indicators currently being publicly reported address performance or eco‐efficiency (Level 2), a few indicators look at environmental effects (Level 3), only the Global Reporting Initiative pilots are beginning to address and report on supply‐chain and product life‐cycle effects (Level 4), and no companies are addressing carrying capacity issues (Level 5). Based on their experience with other companies, the authors feel that the results of this small, single‐industry survey reflect the current state‐of‐the‐art in terms of developing more sustainable production systems.