PhD courseUniversitat Rovira i Virgili

Integrating

Sustainable Consumption & Production What is Sustainable Consumption & Production. Need for a practical approach.

Outline

Sustainable Consumption Cleaner Production Integrating Consumption and

Production Stakeholder engagement and

future directions

What is Sustainable Consumption?

“…the use of services and products which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as to not jeopardize the needs of future generations.”

UN CSD, 1995

Sustainable Consumption is ...

more than “consuming green”   meeting basic needs about changing patterns,

not “doing without” responsible consumption

consuming differently, efficiently !!

Consumption Optimisation Different consumption

– what changes in choices and infrastructure will satisfy consumer demand more sustainability?

Conscious consumption – How can consumers increase their quality of life

by “choosing and using” more wisely?

Appropriate consumption – Are consumption levels sustainable? Is

consumption the best way to achieve every type of quality of life?

Mixed messages from consumers…

I’d like to end poverty, stop violence and

racism,and get rid of

pollution. Everyone should be equal.

I want to dress in the nicest clothes,drive a great car, talk on the latest

mobile phone, and watch my brand new DVD

Driving Forces that Influence Consumption

Economic: economic growth, disposable income and prices,

Demographics: single-person households, longer/healthier lifetimes

Social: lifestyle and cultural tastes for diversity, individualism, working/leisure hours.

Education, Media and Information: environmental awareness.

Existing technology and infrastructure, available products and services.

Policy framework: economic instruments, regulations and social tools.

ProactiveReactive

Cleaner Production

Recycling

Treatment

Dilution

Sustainable Development

Sustainable Consumption

improving efficiencies of current production processes with an eye to product changes

money spent on environment is an expense not an investment, no economic return

using byproducts on/off site so that waste being disposed of is minizised

striving to change the way in which needs are met to reduce environmental impacts

GOAL

Needs - opportunity – ability model of consumer behaviour

What is Cleaner Production?

“ Cleaner Production is the continuous application of an integrated environmental strategy

to processes, products, and services

to increase overall efficiency,

and reduce risks to humans and the environment.

Cleaner production can be applied

to the processes used in any industry,

to products themselves and

to various services provided in society”

What Cleaner Production means for…

Production processes: conserving raw materials, water and energy; eliminating toxic and dangerous raw materials; reducing the quantity and toxicity of all emissions and wasters at source during the production process.

Products: reducing the environmental, health and safety impacts of products through their entire life cycle, from raw materials extraction, throughout manufacturing and use to the “ultimate” disposal of the product.

Services: incorporating environmental concerns into designing and delivering services.

Cleaner Production in action

For companies, cleaner production is implemented via:

factory and site Cleaner Production audits

improved maintenance and operational practices

equipment modification

increased recycling

change to cleaner technologies

better product design

Cleaner Production example: Nicaraguan beverage company (PEPSICO) undertook a

Cleaner Production Assessment working closely

with the 260 employees and found that

product loss was almost 80% due to mechanical problems

- 20% of which were housekeeping measures.

Measures taken:

Water conservation reduced water loss by 50%

Energy efficiency solutions resulted in 12% reduction in refrigeration, 40% reduction in air conditioning, overal fuel costs reduced by 30%

On going training of employees reduced bottle breaking by 30% savings of $26,000/year, and established an atmosphere supportive for looking for continual improvements.

Sustainable Production

There is no

Sustainable Consumption without

and vice versa

Consumption

Process-FocusedConsumption and Production

Production

A Systems Look at Sustainable Consumption and Production

Consumption Production

Consumption and production: integrated issue

“Consumers are increasingly interested in the world that lies behind the products. They want to know how and where and by whom the products have been produced.”

“This increasing awareness is a sign of hope. Business and governments must build on that.”

Klaus Toepfer, UNEP Executive Director

Life Cycle Thinking

Recy-cling

Refining

Manufac-turing

Exploration

Consumption/Use

Extraction

Return to theenvironment

Re-Use

Society’s Needfor Products and

Services

Obsolescence

Klaus Toepfer

… implies that everyone in the

whole chain of a product’s life cycle,

from cradle to grave, has a

responsibility and a role to play, taking into account all the

relevant external effects.”

Engineering view of processes to meet human needs

1.

Need for Integrated Approach

Increasing resource use efficiency (technological innovation, better management, alternative materials, etc.) to meet the basic needs

Reduce material and energy density of consumption

Promoting sustainable development (economic, social and environmental)

Manufacturing SystemSchematic

InputsLaborTimeEnergyCapitalMaterials

Process

OutputsProductScrapHeatPackagingWaste

Facility level Process Flow Map

Production Chain SchematicExamples of strategies to improve

resource productivity I

Extraction of Raw materials

Processing Industry

• Cleaner processing and energy technology

Manufacturer of finished products

• Cleaner processing and energy technology More emphasis on material with a favorable life course• Less material per unit• Larger share of materials from recycling industry • Better moduling of components

• Cleaner processing and energy technology

• Cleaner and more effective transport• Possibly spread Production• Re-use of transport packaging

• Rationalize link between goods or • Services and consumer (computer shopping)• Better utilization of energy• More re-use and recycling• A large share of the total consumption should refer to service• More “sharing”

• More systematic Recycling• New materials• technology

Distribution Consumption Waste Management

Production Chain SchematicExamples of strategies to improve

resource productivity II

Production ConsumptionProducts

Production

ProductionProduction

Production

Consumption

Consumption Consumption

Consumption

Consumption and Production - A Complex System

¿Why focus on the Products?

93% of production materials are not part of sold products 80% of the products are thrown away after just one use 99% of materials used in production of, or contained in the goods, are throw away in the first 6 weeks

“Factor 4: Doubling Wealth - Halving Resource Use”von Weizsacker, E.; Lovins, A.B.; Lovins, L.H.

New approach for development Example of mobility

Needs: to be able to reach places easily, timely and comfortably

Environmental impacts (life-cycle): land use for road, material use in making automobiles, roads and related facilities, energy consumption and pollution emission, automobile wastes, etc.

New approaches: urban planing (location of residents, commercial and leisure services), public transport, cleaner fuels, design for efficiency and recycling, telecommunication (working from home, tele-conferencing, on-line shopping), diversity of leisure activities

Actors: government, financial institutes, automobile manufacturers, public transport services, leisure service companies, IT industry, etc.

Sustainable Consumption and Production: a role for ALL

Sustainable consumption and production is a common responsibility of

Governments, Industry, Consumers and Mass media.

What are we talking about?

… and sharing resources between the rich and the poor.

Consuming and producing more efficiently and differently ...

Future directions...Encompasses entire consumption and production

system with a life cycle perspective Includes stages upstream and downstream of

targeted area Focuses on minimising impacts of entire system Includes interventions that influence consumption

patterns (product policy,product information and product development)

Involves wide range of stakeholders Covers both policy as well as techno-managerial

aspects