1. PhD course Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Integrating
Sustainable Consumption & Production
What is Sustainable Consumption & Production.
Need for a practical approach.

2. Outline Sustainable Consumption Cleaner Production
Integrating Consumption and Production
Stakeholder engagement and future directions

3. 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

4. Sustainable Consumption is ...
more than “consuming green”  
meeting basic needs
about changing patterns,
not “doing without”
responsible consumption consuming differently, efficiently !!

5. 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?

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Needs - opportunity – ability model of consumer behaviour
GOAL
Sustainable Development
striving to change the way in which needs are met to reduce environmental impacts
Sustainable Consumption
Cleaner Production
improving efficiencies of current production processes with an eye to product changes
Recycling
using byproducts on/off site so that waste being disposed of is minizised
Treatment
money spent on environment is an expense not an investment, no economic return
Dilution
Reactive
Proactive

9. 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”

10. 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.

11. 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 has many parallel concepts:
Eco-efficiency (used in the european Union and by the World Business Council for Sustaianble Development)
Pollution prevention (used in North America)
Green productivity (used by the Asian Productivity Organisation)
Waste minisation

12. 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.
Cleaner Production has many parallel concepts:
Eco-efficiency (used in the european Union and by the World Business Council for Sustaianble Development)
Pollution prevention (used in North America)
Green productivity (used by the Asian Productivity Organisation)
Waste minisation

13. Sustainable Consumption without Sustainable Production
There is no
Sustainable Consumption without
Sustainable Production
and vice versa

14. Process-Focused Consumption and Production

15. A Systems Look at Sustainable Consumption and Production

16. 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

17. Life Cycle Thinking
… 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.”
Klaus Toepfer

18. Engineering view of processes to meet human needs1.

19. 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)

20. Manufacturing System Schematic Facility level Process Flow Map
Inputs
Labor
Time
Energy
Capital
Materials
Outputs
Product
Scrap
Heat
Packaging
Waste
Process
These are typical facility level inputs and outputs.
Which of these were addressed in Buzz 101?

21. Production Chain Schematic Examples of strategies to improve resource productivity I
Extraction of
Raw materials
Processing
Industry
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 processing
and energy technology

22. Production Chain Schematic Examples of strategies to improve resource productivity II
Distribution
Consumption
Waste Management
More systematic
Recycling
New materials
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”

23. Consumption and Production -
A Complex System
Production
Consumption
Products

24. ¿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.

25. 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.

26. Sustainable Consumption and Production: a role for ALL
Sustainable consumption and production is a common responsibility of
Governments,
Industry,
Consumers and
Mass media.

27. What are we talking about?
Consuming and producing more efficiently and differently ...
… and sharing resources between the rich and the poor.

28. 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