The concept of Industrial Ecology –Key issues and future research

Ronald Wennersten

We have to start raising the correct questions

Setting goals

EnvironmentEconomySocial

LocalRegionalGlobal

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and improving lives that world leaders agreed on at the Millennium Summit in September 2000.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality5. Improve maternal health6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases7. Ensure environmental sustainability8. Develop a global partnership for development

Social aspects

•More resource-economical lifestyle in the wealthy countries(and developing countries)

•Equity and justice

•Future generation

Industrial Ecology

From Industrial Metabolism to Sustainable Deveopment

Industrial Ecology - Evolution

Pollution

Prevention

Improvement in product and process design

Systems and Interactions

Optimization of Technology-society relationships

What is Industrial Ecology?What is Industrial Ecology?

Examples of tools in Industrial Ecology

LCA – Life Cycle AnalysisMIPS – Material Input per Unit SrviceERA – Environmnetal Risk AssessmentMFA – Material Flow AcountingCERA – Cumulative Ebergy Requirement AnalysisIOA – Input-Output AnalysisLCC – Life Cycle CostingTCA – Total Cost accountingCBA – Cost-Benefit Analysis

Industrial Ecology is a dynamic systems-based frameworkthat enables management of human activity on a sustainable basis by:

•Minimizing energy and materials usage

•Ensuring acceptable quality of life for people !

•Minimizing the ecological impact of human activity to levels natural systems can sustain

•Conserving and restoring ecosystem health and maintaining biodiversity

•Maintaining the economic viability of systems for industry, trade and commerce.

Industrial Ecolgy - a HOLISTIC CONCEPT for sustainable development

WORK AND WEALTH

RESOURCE CONSERVING MOBILITY

BUILDING THE LIVEABLE CITY

DECENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL

EMPOWERING THE CITIZENS

SOCIAL COHERENCE AND

SOLIDARITY

STABLE ECOSYSTEMS

The Dimensions of Industrial Ecology•Science – Values - Policy processJustice-Equity, Cleaner-Production-Consumers choiceThe role of technologyDemocracy

•TimePresent –Future

•SpaceLocal – Regional – GlobalWhat should be sustainable?

•SectorEconomy – Social – Environment (What is most important)Consumer – NGO – Company – Public sector

•DevelopmentNorth – SouthCan south establish basic infrastructure built on dematerialisation

Discussion:

1. Equity and justice principles in Industrial ecology.

If you look at Bruntlands definition of sustainability how should we treat the "conflict" between the demand among poor people today and future generations?

2. Should we strive to focus on regional and local metabolisms in accordance to ecosystem principles? Who gain from global metabolism?

3. How can developing countries make a technology leap and not get the technological and institutional lock in?

The metaphor with natural ecosystems– Is it correct?

Energy

Ecosystem – Type III

MaterialsExtractoror Grower

Materials Processor

orManufacturer

WasteProcessor

ConsumerLimitedResources

LimitedWaste

Industrial Ecosystem

THE NATURAL STEP'S PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITYThe Natural Step's definition of sustainability includes fourscientific principles that lead to a sustainable society.

These principles, also known as "conditions" that must be met in order to have a sustainable society, are as follows:

Substances from the Earth's crust must not systematicallyincrease in the biosphere. This means that in sustainable society, fossil fuels, metals and other materials are not extracted at a faster pace than theirslow redeposit into the Earth;s crust.

Substances produced by society must not systematicallyincrease in nature. This means that in a sustainable society, substances are not produced at a faster pace than they can be broken down in nature or into the Earth's crust.

The physical basis for the productivity and the diversityof nature must not be systematically diminished. This means that in a sustainable society, the productive surfaces ofnature are not diminished in quality or quantity, and we must not harvestmore from nature than can be recreated.

We must be fair and efficient in meeting basic human needs. This means that in a sustainable society, basic human needs must be metwith the most resource-efficient methods possible, including a just resourcedistribution.

Waste was invented by nature not by humans

• Vulcanos: e.g. carbon dioxide• Forest and planctonic algae: e.g. coal, oil

and natural gas• Sea birds: e.g. guano

Environmental disasters and problems are invented by nature

• Earthquakes• Tsunamis• Acidification by marine algae (DMS)• Green house gases e.g. Methane and

Carbon dioxid

Two definitions

Biological ecology ”The study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and theirinteractions with the physical world”.

Industrial ecology ”The study of technologicalorganisms, their use of resources, their potenialenvironmental impacts, and the ways in whichtheir interactions with the natural world could be restructed to enable global sustainability”.

Industrial Agenda

•Waste and by-products must systematically be valorized•Loss caused by dispersion must be minimized•The economy must be demateriallized•Energy must rely less on fossil fuels•Social aspects

Discussion:

1. What does industry need to do to adress sustainableproduction?

2. Who are the key players involved and what must theydo to ensure that sustainable production is achieved?

3. How do governement policy and regulation need to evolve in order to support the shift to sustainableproduction

4. Must there be different strategies betweencompanies in ”developing” countries and those in ”developed” countries?

What are the driving forces for industry? •Direct economy•Indirect economy•Innovation•Legislation•Standards•Recruting•Moral or ethical

Which forces can be active in a change of direction?Who are the main players?

Question 1: IKEA Business Motivations

DRIVERS

•The IKEA vision- “Create a better everyday life for the many people.”

•Past challenges/milestones- IKEA must be proactive towards social and environmental issues to ensure our long-term future.

•External groups- NGO’s and other external groups have increased our awareness of important issues.

ADVANTAGES

•Raw material security- IKEA must be proactive to have supply!

•Eco-efficiencies- Efficient raw material use has a positive effect on costs.

•Marketplace differentiation- Consumer awareness of social and environmental issues is growing.

Question 1: IKEA Business Motivations

Question 2: Challenges, obstacles and impediments

Communication-Internal/external

Resources-New competencies and tools needed

Varying global conditions-Different countries, different conditions

Question 3: Future of Sustainability Commitments

Stores

Products & Materials

Transport & Warehousing

Suppliers

ForestryGood Housekeeping

Deepening commitmentsPartnerships will increaseSystems thinking/New tools

Question 3: Future of Sustainability Commitments

Product recovery

Product tracing

Consumption

IE - research

Theoretical goals

Interaction between human and natural systems

A theory of quantitative sustainability

The role of Technology in Sustainable Development

Applied

• Develop policy instruments to incentivize industrial ecology

• Diffuse industrial ecology into developing countries

IE -research

IE -research

Experimental

• Design and development of eco-industrial parks

• Metabolism of cities

Industrial Symbiosis

Kalundborg Denmark

Kalundborg industrial park

Town : KalundborgKalundborg

Country : DenmarkDenmark

Population : 20 000 inhabitants20 000 inhabitants

Characteristics :The organization had not been planned originallynot been planned originally,First cooperation in 1960cooperation in 1960 (Implantation of the refinery),Second project in 1970 (“Gyproc”), …

I I -- OrganizationOrganization : Partners

AsnAsnææss:: power station

StatoilStatoil:: oil refinery

Novo Novo NordiskNordisk:: biotechnological and pharmaceutical

NovozymesNovozymes:: production of industrial enzymes

GyprocGyproc:: production of plasterboard for the building industry

I I -- OrganizationOrganization : Partners contd…

•• Bioteknisk JordensBioteknisk Jordens:: soil remediation company

•• TownTown of of KalundborgKalundborg:: receives excess heat from Asnæs

•• NovorenNovoren I/S:I/S: waste treatment plant

Excess gas from the refinery is provided by Gyproc

Asnæs supply the city, Novo Nordisk and Statoil with steam

The power plant uses salt water from the fjord and supply the fish farm with hot water

The power plant uses surplus refinery gas instead of coal

Sludge from Novo Nordisk’s processes and from the fish farm’s water treatment plant is used as fertilizer on nearby farm

I I -- OrganizationOrganization : Energy

The cement company uses the power plant’s desulfurized fly ash

Asnæs reacts the SO2 in its stack gas with calcium carbonate to make gypsum to eventually sell to Gyproc

Pure liquid sulfur is produced from the refinery’s desulfurization process: then transported to a sulfuric acid producer

Surplus yeast from insulin production at Novo Nordiskgoes to farmers for use as pig food

I I -- OrganizationOrganization : Material

IE -research

Experimental

• Design and development of eco-industrial parks

• Metabolism of cities

The Hammarby Model

An Industrial Ecology Model of a residentialurban area with half environmental load

Industrial Ecology - Present

– Journal of Industrial Ecology - since spring 1997

– Industrial ecology Gordon Conference -since 1998

– International Society for Industrial Ecology -since 2001

– >100 postgraduate programmes of “industrial ecology”

International Conference in Industrial Ecology

01.Corporate SustainabilityReporting

02.The Spatial Dimension of IE 03.IE Management/Operations

Research 04.Tools in IE, LFA, MFA,

Input-Output Analysis 05.Sustainable Consumption 06.The social Dimension/

Side of IE 07.Sustainable Transportation 08.Policy Cases 09.Sustainable Manufacturing 10.IE in a Global Context 11.Sustainable Cities and Regional

Metabolism 12.Managing Energy and

Greenhouse Gases

13.Eco-Industrial Parks andNetworks

14.Design for Environment 15.Education 16.Environmental Management 17.Waste Management 18.Eco-efficiency 19.Industrial applications of IE 20.Ecological systems theory 21.Complex Systems theory and

adaptive management 22.Product/servie systems 23.Transitions and societal change 24.Scenario methods in IE 25.Agriculture and Industrial

Ecology

Topics in ISIE-2005

ISIE-2007

We are starting to raise the questions

The role of Science in Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Development

Research areas for IE

The Physical, Biological, and Societal Framework for IEAvoiding sub-optimization (ecological, economic and social)

Meeting the requirements of the industries and the scientific community Analyse future needs of industries vis-à-vis ecological challenges

set strategies and goalsQuantify performance and measure progress at industry and societal level

quantification of economic efficiency and ecological effectiveness Good practice of implementing industrial ecology in industries

Case studies Trade-off between micro and macro, short-term and long-term strategies

The scientist should always revealwhat is science and what are valuesindependent of the opinions of the stakeholders

The scientist should present material and create platforms for discussionsamong stakeholders

The Scientist should in an objective waydevelop methods to analyse differentapproaches to sustainable development on different levels

The Scientist should work in co operation with other stakeholders like authorities, industries, public (The 3rd task)

The Scientist should be aware of thatSustainable Development is not value free

•Development of industrial production and consumption patterns towards cyclic more than linear systems minimizing waste, and the development of sustainability and quality of life indicators using a combination of top down and bottom up perspective

•Development of frameworks for a practical approach to the formulation of environmental objectives and targets on national, regional and local levels

•Sustainable urban development with an integrated view of economic, social and environmental issues including conflict resolution strategies

•The role of technological development and innovation in sustainable development and innovation of systems more than innovation of products

•Creating arenas for true triple helix interactions between university, industry and government to reveal the relevant underlying questions using creative work shop and scenario techniques

Important issues

Thank you for listening