Ecological Footprint

If current material and population growth trends continue and population stabilizes at 10 billion people in 2040, we will need between eight and twelve additional planets.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

World Carbon Emissions, 1950-2000From Fossil Fuel Burning

MillionTons

World Mean Temperature

13.613.8

1414.214.414.614.8

1515.215.415.615.8

Source: State of the World, World Watch Institute

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s

0

20

40

60

80

100

Economic losses Number of major catastrophes

Underbelly of our Industrial System

ENVIRONMENTALDEGRADATION

Deforestation

Decimated Biodiversity

Widespread Pollution

Poverty

SOCIAL INEQUITY & POVERTY

Erosion

Human Rights Violations

*M = Manufactured Capital

Waste to Landfill

Habitat Loss

Global Warming

Toxic Chemical Exposure

MalnutritionCancerInjustice

Unclean Water

Child Labor

The Concept of the Funnel

Decline of Living Systems

Margin for Action

Population x Affluence x Technology

Environmental Concerns

•Mass extinctions

•Deforestation & soil erosion

•Air & water pollution

•“Super” bacteria, viruses, and insects

•Dwindling natural resources

•Cancer rates increasing

•Reproductive disorders increasing

•Fisheries collapsing

•Water tables falling

•Climate Change

Extinctions

•51% of freshwater animal species are declining in number.

•One in four vertebrate species are in sharp decline or facing serious pressure from human activities.

•One of every eight known plant species is threatened with extinction or is nearly extinct.

•One in ten tree species—some 8,750 of the 80,000 to 100,000 tree species known to science—are threatened with extinction.

•The overall rate of extinction is estimated to be 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than it would be naturally.

PRINCIPLES OFSUSTAINABILITY

Global warming

Toxicity

Ground water contamination

Rain forest destruction

Monocultures

Fisheries collapse

Forest loss

Energy Sources

Jobs vs. environment debates

Water Pollution

Nuclear PlantsAir pollution

Flooding

Acid Rain

Hunger

To develop and share a common framework To develop and share a common framework comprised of easily understood, scientifically-comprised of easily understood, scientifically-based principles that can serve as a compass to based principles that can serve as a compass to guide society toward a sustainable future. guide society toward a sustainable future.

© 1996 Paul Hawken, Karl-Henrik Robèrt, and The Natural Step

The Purpose of The Natural Step:

Matter and energy cannot be destroyed(the Conservation Law)

Matter and energy tend to spread spontaneously(2nd Law of Thermodynamics)

Biological and economic value (quality) of matter is in its concentration and structure(What we need for our existence)

Green cells are essentially the only net producer of concentration and structure(Photosynthesis)

Science Principles

System Condition No. 1

Substances from the Earth's crust must not systematically increase in the biosphereThis means: fossil fuels, metals and other minerals must not be extracted at a faster rate than their redeposit and regeneration in the the Earth's crust.

HALOGENATEDCOMPOUNDSchlorodifluoromethanechlorotrifluoromethanedichlorofluoromethanechloromethanetrichlorofluoromethanedichloroethyleneFreon 113methylene chloridechloroform1,1,1 – trichloroethanecarbon tetrachloridetrichloroethylenechloropentanechlorobenzeneiodopentane3-methyl-1-iodobutancechloroethylbenzenedibromodichloromethane

dichlorobenzenechlorodecanetrichlorobenzeneALDEHYDESacetaldehydemethyl propanaln-butantalmethylbutanalcrotoaldehyden-penanaln-hexanalfuraldehyden-heptanalbenzaldehyden-octanalphenyl acetaldehyden-nonanalmethyl furaldehyden-decanaln-undecanal

n-dodecanalKETONESacetonemethyl ethyl ketonemethyl propyl ketonemethyl vinyl ketoneethyl vinyl ketone2-pentanonemethyl pentanonemethyl hydrofuranone2-methyl-3-hexanone4-heptaonone3-heptaonone2- heptaononemethyl heptaononefuryl methyl ketoneoctanoneacetaphenone2-nonanone2-decananone

alkylated lactonephthalideOXYGENATEDISOMERSC4H6OC4H8OC5H10 OC4H6O2C6H12 OC7H10 OC7H14 O2C6H6O2C6H14 O2C6H16 OC7H8O2C7H10 O2C9H18 OC8H6O2C10H12 O2C10H14 O

C10H16 OC10H18 OC10H20 OC10H22 OC9H8O2C11H20 OALCOHOLSmethanolisoproponaln-proponal1-butanol1-pentanolx-furfuryl alcohol2-ethyl-1-hexanol phenol2,2,4-trimethylpenta-1,3-diolx-terpineolACIDSacetic aciddecanonic acidSULFUR COMPOUNDS

This means: substances must not be produced faster than they can be broken down and be reintegrated into the cycles of nature or be deposited in the Earth's crust

System Condition No. 2

Substances produced by society must not systematically increase in nature

System Condition No. 3

The physical basis for the productivity and diversity of nature must not be systematically deteriorated.This means: the productive surfaces of nature must not be diminished in quality or quantity, and we must not harvest more from nature than can be recreated or renewed.

System Condition No. 4

There needs to be fair and efficient use of resources with respect to meeting human needs.This means: basic human needs must be met with the most resource efficient methods possible, including equitable resource distribution.

Income Disparities

0102030405060708090

1960 1970 1980 1990 1994

Richest 20% Poorest 20%

Per

cent

age

70.2

2.3

86.0

1.1

Four System Conditions

1. What we take from the Earth’s crust

1. What we make in the lab

2. What we take from land and sea

3. How efficient and equitable we are

Applying the System Conditions

Does this decision: 1. Decrease dependence on oil, gas,

and metals? 2. Decrease dependence on

compounds produced by society? 3. Increase the productivity and

biodiversity in nature?4. Increase the efficiency and equity

with which resources are used?

Yes No

___ ___

___ ___

___ ___

___ ___

Sustainable

Zero Waste

Total Cost Accounting

Work with Biological & Ecological Cycles

Self-Replenishing Eco-System Services

High Quality of Life Healthy Communities

Clo

sed

Res

ourc

e Lo

ops

Ren

ewab

le E

nerg

y S

ourc

es

Balanced S

takeholder Benefits

Investors, Em

ployees & C

omm

unity

The Business Challenge

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL

Profitability

Profitability

Unsustainable

Externalization of

Environmental & Social

Costs

Ozone Depletion Global Warming

Environmental Integrity

Social Merit

Low

est C

ost L

abor

take

s P

rece

denc

e

over

Loy

alty

to C

omm

uniti

es

Extraction, P

roduction & W

aste

Fossil Fuels Transformed to Em

issions

Figure 1 By Karl Ostrom

INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS MODEL

Nature Viewed as Raw Materials to be Extracted

Declining Resources Altered Bio/Geochemistry

Gross Inequities Resource Conflicts

Health Crises Malnutrition

Goods andServices

NaturalResources

Tomorrow’s Material Cycle Tomorrow’s profit will come from design, not matter

Reduce Use of Natural

Resources

Recover Technical Nutrients

Closing the Material Loop

• Design for Efficient Production• Design for Efficient and Effective Use• Design for Efficient Recovery

• Take-back Logistics• Remanufacturing • Reuse• Recycling

Decreasing Resource Use By Design

Closing the Loop

Key Concept: Material recovery starts and ends with great product design

Goals:

Need Less material inputs throughout product life

Make use of recovered materials

Make it easy to recover materials

Goals:

Find sustainable sources of technical nutrients

Recapture value from materials

Learn from experience to improve future design

Government Agencies

Community Stakeholders

Higher Education Business Leaders

Non-Profits

N etw ork for B usiness Innovation and

Sustainability/N W

Building Community Collaborationto Support Sustainable Prosperity

catalyzing and enabling increased business to business collaboration; i.e. best practices, IE

linking sustainable business projects with the teaching and research capacities being developed in higher education institutions,

developing informed relationships between businesses and non-profits that profitably reward sustainability in the marketplace,

Collaboration between business and government that facilitate eco-efficiency, innovation and reward sustainable practices

Interdisciplinary Support for Sustainable Business: Research, Teaching & Action Learning Projects

SOCIAL MERIT through promoting socially

and environmentally preferable products and services

ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY through use of technologies and strategies

that reduce material use, energy use, toxins and waste

FINANCIAL STRENGTH through implementation of

sustainable business practices

Social

Economic

Environmental

Objectives

Business Management

Biological and Physical Sciences

Social Sciences

Green Building Architecture

Environmental Information Systems

Life Cycle Product Design

Biomimicry

Industrial Ecology

Environmental Engineering

Bioregional Natural Resource Management

Green Chemistry

Science/Technology for renewable and Efficient energy use

Geology, Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences

Bioregional Geography Sustainable

Agriculture

Human Development Ecopsychology

Rural and Urban Sociology

Accounting

Economics

Marketing

Organization Development

Leadership

Urban & Regional Planning

Political Science

Community Development

Figure 2 By Karl Ostrom

Information Technology

Communications Specialists

N etwo rk for Business

I nnovatio n & Sustainab ility

An intensive one-day workshop

SUSTAINABLE

PURCHASING

STRATEGIES

Using the Natural Step Framework

Thursday, May 1, 2003

Sustainable Business Strategy

— Stakeholder agenda

— Local solutions

— Creative partnerships

— Trust

Connect toCommunity

— Green products

— Supply chain improvement

— Products to Services

— Remanufacturing

Connect toValue Chain

— Lower operating costs

— New business opportunities

— Renewable materials

— Renewable energy

— Offsets

— Biomimicry

Value fromEcosystems

Four strategies to put you on the road to sustainability

Material toInformation

— Knowledge intensive

— Value per volume output

— Value per unit capital

— Reduce footprint

— Material per customer