Sustainability by Design Creating a Common Understanding of Sustainability Jerry Hembd University of

What is Sustainability? “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” ~ The Brundtland Report “It contains two key concepts: the concept of “needs,” in particular the essential needs of the world’s poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment’s ability to meet present and future needs.” ~ The Brundtland Report

Sustainability Describes a future state Science provides a description of the key features of that state That state is dynamic and adaptable “Sustainable development” is the process ….. of moving towards that state

“Pleistocene of South America” by D. Bogdanov We know: In nature there are no winners or losers. Only survivors.

Yesterday’s solutions are often today’s problems We are now facing the challenges of our species’ success

We are facing the Perfect Storm Rapid Climate Change “Peak Oil”/Energy Costs (once again, when the economy improves) Fresh Water Scarcity

environment economy society Conceptions of Sustainability Society Economy Environment Source material from TNS Canada

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT Two Mental Models of Sustainability Concepts Society ECONOMY Environment Sustainable Society Sustainable Economy Typical Business ViewSustainable View

Conventional Thinking Traditionally, we try to understand complex systems by reducing the whole and studying the individual parts. This is called reductionist thinking. Source material from TNS Canada

Systems Thinking But… We know that the properties of systems depend on the relationships between the parts as much as the parts themselves. When you dissect the system, you destroy the pattern of relationships. Source material from TNS Canada

We must look at the whole... … and not get stuck on details Systems Thinking Source material from TNS Canada

Understanding the Sustainability Challenge The Funnel as a Metaphor

Resource Funnel Resource Availability and Ecosystem Ability to Provide Vital Services Raw materials, ecosystem services, declining integrity and capacity of natural systems Sustainability Margin for Action Societal Demand for Resources Growth in population, resource requirements as affluence increases, increased demands as technology spreads Source: Nattrass, Brian, and Altomare, Mary. The Natural Step for Business. New Society Publishers, 1999.

Supporting Nutrient cycling Soil formation Primary production Provisioning Food Freshwater Wood and fibre Fuel Regulating Climate regulation Flood regulation Disease regulation Water purification Cultural Aesthetics Spiritual Educational Recreational Ecosystem Services Source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Washington, DC: Island Press.

TNS Canada The Sustainability Challenge

A Systems Perspective The Earth as a system

Cycles of Nature Slow geological cycles (volcano eruptions and weathering) Slow geological cycles (sedimentation and mineralization) Closed system with respect to matter 1) Nothing disappears 2) Everything disperses Open system with respect to energy « Photosynthesis pays the bills » Sustainability is about the ability of our own human society to continue indefinitely within these natural cycles

How We Influence Cycles Relatively large flows of materials from the Earth’s crust Introduce persistent compounds foreign to nature Physically inhibit nature’s ability to run cycles Barriers to people meeting their basic needs worldwide

The Cyclic Principle Waste must not systematically accumulate in nature, and reconstruction of material quality must be at least as large as its dissipation.

Four System Conditions...concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust,...concentrations of substances produced by society,...degradation by physical means,...people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs. In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing... and, in that society...

Fundamental Human Needs SubsistenceProtectionParticipation IdlenessAffection Understanding CreativityIdentityFreedom

System Conditions Describe a Sustainable Society They are not negotiable. But The way you satisfy them and the rate you at which you satisfy them, is. ( But remember, nature always bats last.)

Economic Activity Nature ExtractionWaste The Essentials The take-make-waste economic system Source adapted from Doppelt (2003)

The Essentials The sustainable circular borrow-use-return economic system Economic Activity ExtractionWaste Nature Extract energy and raw materials without harm and phase out the use of natural (e.g. fossil fuels) and human-made (synthetic) toxic and bioaccumulating substances Recirculate biological materials back into nature without harm Design processes, products, services and infrastructure to be easily recirculated and so they do not cause environmental or socioeconomic harm Recirculate toxic substances and technical materials in closed-loop industrial cycles. Source adapted from Doppelt (2003)

Raw Materials Mine Manufacture Dispose End of Life Use Retail Finishing Products Waste streams Linear Resource Use Source: The Natural Step reuse Raw Materials Mine Manufacture Dispose End of Life Use Retail Finishing Products Reduced waste streams Recycle: Chemical Physical Cyclical Resource Use

1 st Wave 2 nd Wave 3 rd Wave 4 th Wave 5 th Wave 6 th Wave Steam power Railroad Steel Cotton Electricity Chemicals Internal combustion engine Petrochemicals Electronics Aviation Space Digital networks Biotechnology Software information technology Sustainability Radical resource productivity Whole system design Biomimicry Green chemistry Industrial ecology Renewable energy Green nanotechnology Source: Natural Edge Waves of Innovation Iron Water Power Mechanization Textiles Commerce Innovation

Change is really the only constant in our universe. Rapid Change = Risk + Opportunity Opportunities…

The Journey 5. Purpose/Passion 4. Integrated Strategy Enhanced business value 3. Beyond Compliance 2. Compliance 1. Pre-Compliance Sustainable governance New products, services, markets Improved supply chain conditions

“Every $1B capital investment in energy and efficiency would create approximately 9,500 building-retrofit jobs. Such an investment would also create 1,200 jobs from building and installing solar photovoltaic panels and about 900 wind-energy jobs” "In the jobs-creation sweepstakes, retrofitting buildings runs away with it. That's about 10-to-1 over any other investment." ~ Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute founder (Nov 08) ~ Green Retrofits Job Creation

2008: 750,000 green jobs 419,000 in engineering, legal, research and consulting 127,000 Renewable power generation 57,500 in Agriculture and Forestry 2038: 4.2M jobs - 5 times today; fastest growing job segment 1.23M in renewable electricity production 1.50M in alternative transportation fuels 1.40M in engineering, legal, research, and consulting 0.81M in commercial and residential retrofits Potential Green Jobs in U.S.

Crisis is Resetting the Economy “If you think this is only a cycle, you’re just wrong. This is a permanent reset. There are going to be elements of the economy that will never be the same, ever.” “The NA companies best positioned to tap that growth will be the ones that double-down on investments in innovation and technology during the downturn. If you keep investing in technology and innovation in the worst of times, your competitive advantage grows." (Jeff Immelt, CEO, General Electric, Feb 09) Tyler Hamilton, The Toronto Star, Feb. 11, 2009

Are you up to the job?

Tools for the Job

Systems Thinking Systems Dynamics Triple Bottom Line Industrial Ecology Cradle to Cradle Rapid Climate Change & Energy Strategy Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Green Building Bio-based Production Full Cost Accounting Life Cycle Assessment Ecological Design Biomimetics/Biomimicry

Innovation Political will Courage Communication Cooperation A sense of urgency A desire for a better life for our children

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert Einstein