Put the “Eco” is an Economic Development

Tool: Regional Eco-Economic Assessment

David JaberNatural LogicMay 9, 2007

“Regional Eco-Economic Assessment”

Towards an Integral EconomyGoals• Identify business sectors to develop given

environmental and community quality-of-life needs

• Identify business sectors to investigate for efficiency and waste reduction opportunities

• Identify “gaps” in the regional “ecosystem” of businesses where new revenue streams and sectors can be created by turning byproduct wastes into a resource.

• Investigation for a city, county, or multi-county region• Create a baseline of environmental impacts and

economic contribution, by industry sector • ID

– The industries that give the largest contributions per amount of impact

– The industries to investigate for environmental improvement

• Evaluate productivity (econ benefits per amount of environmental “non-product”)

• Evaluate the contribution of “nature’s services”• Potential matches of non-products with resource needs

Project Outline

• Products: Value-added, job creation• Non-Products: Solid waste, hazardous

wastes, wastewater• Energy: Electricity and natural gas use• Materials: Water, supplies• Nature’s Services: land area, rainfall,

sunlight

Aspects for Investigation

Framework

TNS Conditions– Material from the earth’s crust must not

accumulate in the earth’s living systems– Man-made substances must not accumulate– Maintain health, diversity, and abundance --

pre-industrial -- of the earth’s living systems– Equity for all in sustaining and enriching life

Permaculture Ethical Principles

• Care for the earth (husband soil, forests and water)

• Care for people (look after self, kin and community)

• Fair share (set limits to consumption and reproduction, and redistribute surplus)

Ethics

Source: Holmgren, David. “Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability”

Framework (continued)Permaculture Design Principles

1. Observe & Interact2. Catch & Store Energy3. Obtain a Yield4. Apply Self-regulation & Accept Feedback5. Use & Value Renewable Resources and Services6. Produce No Waste7. Design From Patterns to Details8. Integrate Rather Than Segregate9. Use Small and Slow Solutions10. Use and Value Diversity11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change

First Step: Identify Area Industries• Commerce lists by region• IMPLAN

Second Step: Define Indicators and Gather Data• Economic

– Value-Added

• Environmental– Toxics (TRI)– Energy Use (DOE)– Solid Waste (state/local)– Water (state/local, USGS)

Third Step: Calculate “Nature’s Services”• Solar Potential• Rainfall• Land Usage

Fourth Step: Analyze Results

• Compare – Economic contribution to environmental

impact– Resource use to nature’s services

Fourth Step: Analyze Results

• Compare cross-industry outputs to cross-industry inputs

Materials

Recovery

Facility

(MRF)

Regional

Waste

Streams

Logging

Camps and

Contractors

Sawmills

and Planing

Mills

Secondary

Wood

Products

Boat

Building

and

Ship

Building

Paper-

board

Mill

Export

Compost

Operation Biofuels

Landfill

Agri-

culture

Ecological

Waste-

water

Treatment

Forests

Paper

Products

Possible

Agricultural/Forestry/Industrial

Cluster

solid

waste

trees

nonrecyclables

recyclables

wood chips

and

wood scraps

paperboard

wastewater

waste paper

wood wastes

residues

compost

mulch

soil

amendments

agricultural wastes

packaging

and other

wastes

paper

wood

products

wood

products

logs

organics

IN USE

NOW

NEW

animal feed

energy crops

Aspirations

• Expand nature’s services – Open space as flood control, groundwater

regeneration, air cleansing– Biodiversity

• Social Indicators– % of Living Wage– Human Rights ratings– Employee injuries/lost work-days

• Make results web-based

Streamlining the Process

Web-based tools• Quick access to data• Easily review resource productivity trends, key ratios,

key comparisons

Natural Logic

Strategy and Planning• Strategic sustainability assessments

• Sustainable economic development

• Workshops and webinars

Metrics and Reporting• Measures that Matter workshops

• Indicators development

• Business Metabolics™ KPI

management system

• Sustainability reporting

http://www.natlogic.com

David Jaber - djaber@natlogic.com510-849-5467