RESOURCE-EFFICIENT AND CLEANER PRODUCTION AS A DRIVER OF INVESTMENT READINESS IN INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES OF UZBEKISTAN: EVIDENCE FROM TEN COMPANY-LEVEL CASES

Abstract

The article investigates the role of resource-efficient and cleaner production in improving the investment readiness of industrial enterprises in Uzbekistan. The study is based on ten company-level RECP cases from FEZ Urgut and SIZ Mechanic, covering textile production, PVC and aluminium products, printing, carpet and yarn production, polyester fiber, household appliances, refrigerators and knitting products. The article applies the IMRAD structure and combines descriptive analysis, ESG proxy scoring, finance readiness assessment and a conceptual regression-logit interpretation. The results indicate that RECP measures can transform sustainability from a general corporate responsibility issue into a concrete financial project, because they quantify investment cost, annual savings, CO2 reduction and payback period. The ten-company database shows that several projects have short payback periods and measurable environmental impact, which improves their bankability. At the same time, the findings demonstrate that technical efficiency alone is not enough: enterprises also need transparent reporting, governance procedures, monitoring systems and a structured data package for creditors. The article proposes a practical algorithm that converts RECP opportunities into ESG-based investment proposals for foreign banks, development finance institutions and green finance instruments.