The Network for industrial Environmental management (NIEM), is the programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which is co-coordinated by its Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP) at Bangkok.

Environmental Management in Pulp & Paper Industry in seven countries of Asia had been taken up as a priority sector under NIEM activities. India is one of the participating countries since the inception of the NIEM programme in 1987. Phase I and Phase II of the programme is already completed. Phase III, initiated in 1996 is under way. During the NIEM Phase I programme, the technical literature on discharge characterization, impact on environment etc., were prepared and approach of the NIEM activities was finalized

From India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been involved in the NIEM activities since the beginning. During the NIEM Phase II activities, two training-cum-workshops on the Discharge Characterization, Improved Mill Management, Receiving Water and Receiving Land Quality Evaluation and Assessment of Environmental Effects were organized by CPCB in Delhi and Bangalore CPCB had been retained as the nodal agency for the NIEM activities by the UNEP, ROAP.

The NIEM Phase III activities in India envisage the promotion of cleaner production (CP) in pulp and paper mills in the country. The approach was to carry out in-depth study for identification of CP options and to implement them. The implementation of these CP options not only yield in reduction in waste generation but also provide economic benefits by6 reducing the raw material and other resource consumption in terms of per unit of pulp or paper produced.