Monday, November 12, 2012

Notes - Contemporary Sustainability Based Frameworks

The natural step

  • Developed by Karl Henrik Robert
  • Eliminate our contribution to
    • the progressive build up of substances extracted from the Earth's crust
    • the progressive build up of chemicals and compounds
    • degradation of natural processes
    • conditions that undermine people's capacity to meet their basic human needs
  • Progression Levels
    • 1 policy for year by year reductions in emissions
    • 2 increase ratio of recycled to raw materials
    • 3 maximize resource efficiency reduce nonrenewable contributions
    • 4 Introduce LCA(Life Cycle Assessment) analysis to provide detailed understanding of impacts
    • 5 set limits on extraction and land use
The Hannover Principles
  • supposed to serve as a how to for ecological design
  • defines sustainable design
  • Principles
    • Insist on the rights of human and nature to coexist
    • Recognize interdependence
    • Respect relationships between spirit and matter
    • Accept responsibilities for consequences of design
    • Create safe objects of long-term value
    • Eliminate the concept of waste
    • Rely on natural energy flows
    • Understand the limitations of design
    • Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge
Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Milton Friedman said we undermine free enterprise if companies think about anything other than money
  • Long term responsibilities need to be assigned, Tyco, Enron, Exxon, etc.
  • CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
    • Intel stepping up in education field
    • Standard Chartered, UK bank global initiative to provide eye care, and micro finance loans
    • Xerox promote friendly paper use
    • can accrue benefits financially for company
      • better brand identity
      • lower levels of regulation
      • reduced scrutiny
      • gain government licenses for operation
  • Policies
    • Adoption of internal controls reform
    • commitment to diversity
    • management teams view employees as assets
    • high performance workplaces, employees involved in decision making
    • adoption of operating policies above regulations
    • greater resource productivity
    • taking responsibility for production phases
  • GRI(Global reporting initiative)
    • opening up reports to world about organizational performance
  • Some accused of greenwashing, as a fake publicity movement

No comments:

Post a Comment