1. THE ROLE OF DESIGN IN THE AGE OF TRANSGRESSING PLANETARY BOUNDARIES
prof. Lučka Kajfež Bogataj
University of Ljubljana

3. Growing Human Pressure Climate change Ecosystem decline Surprise
[20/80 dilemma]
Climate change
[560/450/400 dilemma]
Ecosystem decline
[60 % loss dilemma]
Surprise
[99/1 dilemma]

4. LIFESTYLE TODAY IS HIGLY ENERGY CONSUMING
One person
energy need
≈ 1GigaJ per day

5. Evolution of primary energy

6. Socio-economic trends

7. Earth system trends
Steffen et al. 2015
The Great Acceleration

8. Biogeochemical loading: Global N & P Cycles
Climate
Change
Ozone
depletion
Atmospheric Aerosol
Loading
Biogeochemical loading: Global N & P Cycles
Planetary
Boundaries
Ocean
acidification
Rate of Biodiversity
Loss
Global
Freshwater
Use
Land
System Change
Chemical
Pollution 8 8

9. Rate of Biodiversity Loss
Climate Change
< 350 ppm CO2 < 1W m2
Ozone depletion
< 5 % of Pre-Industrial 290 DU
Biogeochemical loading: Global N & P Cycles
Limit industrial fixation of N2 to 35 Tg N yr-1(25 % of natural fixation)
(25%-35%)
P < 10× natural weathering inflow to Oceans
(10× – 100×)
Atmospheric Aerosol Loading
To be determined
Planetary
Boundaries
Ocean acidification
Aragonite saturation ratio > 80 % above pre-industrial levels
Global Freshwater Use
<4000 km3/yr
Rate of Biodiversity Loss
< 10 E/MSY
Land System Change
≤15 % of land under crops
Chemical Pollution
Plastics, Endocrine Desruptors, Nuclear Waste Emitted globally
To be determined 9

10. ? ? ? ? ? ? Climate Change Ozone depletion Phosphorus flow Latest data
Atmospheric aerosol load ? ?
90-00 ?
Nitrogen flow
Ocean acidity
70-80 ?
50-60
Biodiversity loss
Freshwater consumption ?
Pre-
Ind.
Agricultural
land use
Chemical
pollution

11. Living within environmental limits

12. INOVATIVE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

13. Think about planetary boundaries when designing products
products use resources (when they are made, when they are used)
products create waste (when they are made, when they are thrown away
products change the way we live (behaviours are changed by the introduction of new products - some impacts are negative)

14. Key principles of Design for Sustainability
Efficient design - keep the material and resource inputs to a minimum. Do more with less.
Cyclic design - design to enable materials to be continuously cycled through natural or industrial systems.
Safe design - avoid toxic and hazardous substances and processes. Keep human health in mind as well as ecological impacts.
Communications design - Encourage responsible consumer behaviour.
Dummett, 2017

15. Design features to use less materials
to do more than one thing (so that fewer products are needed) – multi-functional
to be more durable
so that they can be repaired
so that they can be up-graded to include new technological developments
to be easily recycled – the materials can be easily separated when the product is no longer useful

16. Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair (1972)
Peter Opsvik designed Tripp Trapp chair to grow with the child, increasing the effective lifetime of the chair.

17. Better Packaging Clever Little Bag
Designed by Yves Béhar
65% less cardboard
No laminated printing, no tissue paper
Less weight and space in shipping
New reusable bag replaces the polyethylene retail bag, is made of recycled PET, and is also recyclable
vision.puma.com

19. The power that design can bring
The products/services can help mitigate and adapt to climate change (designing products that use less energy, that last longer and use less virgin materials)
Designers can create awareness ( should use their skills to communicate environmental messages to the public)
Designers are able to translate innovation and technology into stuff and services that people can understand.