Resource efficiency - Material efficiency

Title

An aggregate resource efficiency perspective on sustainability: A Sustainable Value application to the EU-15 countries

Reference

Ecological Economics
Volume 71, 15 November 2011, Pages 99-110

Author(s)

Frederic Ang , Steven Van Passel, Erik Mathijs

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The Sustainable Value approach integrates the efficiency with regard to environmental, social and economic resources into a monetary indicator. It gained significant popularity as evidenced by diverse applications at the corporate level. However, its introduction as a measure adhering to the strong sustainability paradigm sparked an ardent debate. This study explores its validity as a macroeconomic strong sustainability measure by applying the Sustainable Value approach to the EU-15 countries. Concretely, we assessed environmental, social and economic resources in combination with the GDP for all EU-15 countries from 1995 to 2006 for three benchmark alternatives. The results show that several countries manage to adequately delink resource use from GDP growth. Furthermore, the remarkable difference in outcome between the national and EU-15 benchmark indicates a possible inefficiency of the current allocation of national resource ceilings imposed by the European institutions. Additionally, by using an effects model we argue that the service degree of the economy and governmental expenditures on social protection and research and development are important determinants of overall resource efficiency. Finally, we sketch out three necessary conditions to link the Sustainable Value approach to the strong sustainability paradigm.

Policy theme(s)

Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency
Resource efficiency >> Ecoinnovation

Keywords

Sustainable value; Eco-efficiency; Sustainability assessment; Weak sustainability; Strong sustainability

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800911003417

There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

frederic.ang@uhasselt.be

Title

Considerations of resource availability in technology development strategies: The case study of photovoltaics

Reference

Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Volume 56, Issue 1, November 2011, Pages 56-65

Author(s)

Anton Zuser, Helmut Rechberger 

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies have experienced considerable growth rates of up to 70% in the last years. This has been possible because of low total CO2 emissions and a positive overall energy balance for PV. Several institutions have developed future scenarios which show an increase in global electricity demand from 17 000 TWh in 2005 to some 60 000 TWh by 2050. A significant part of this amount should be supplied by PV installations. Based on selected scenarios material demand is calculated for four different PV technologies: crystalline silicon (c-Si), amorphous silicon (a-Si) in tandem configuration, cadmium tellurium (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). As these technologies use rare metals it is shown, that particular scenarios are unlikely to be realized because of supply constraints and scarcity phenomena. Critical materials are silver, tellurium and indium. We consider photovoltaics as an appropriate example for the implementation of resource availability considerations into technology development strategies.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Environmental technologies >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon technologies
Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency

Keywords

Photovoltaic; Indium; Gallium; Tellurium; Silicon; Energy scenario

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344911001753
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

aws@iwa.tuwien.ac.at

Title

Industrial symbiosis and the policy instruments of sustainable consumption and production

Reference

Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume 19, Issue 16, November 2011, Pages 1865-1875

Author(s)

Suvi Lehtoranta , Ari Nissinen, Tuomas Mattila, Matti Melanen

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Industrial symbioses (ISs) and eco-industrial parks (EIPs) are key concepts of industrial ecology (IE). The aim of ISs and EIPs is to minimise inefficient material and energy use by utilising local by-product and energy flows. Industrial symbioses tend to develop through spontaneous action of economic actors, for gaining of economic benefit, but these systems can be designed and promoted via policy instruments as well. A literature review showed that national programmes for eco-industrial parks can be found in different parts of the world. In the action programmes and other sustainable consumption and production (SCP) policy documents of the EU, on the other hand, industrial symbioses gain less recognition as a path to enhanced sustainable production. In this article, we consider this and also analyse how the evolution and environmental performance of an industrial symbiosis system centred on a Finnish pulp and paper mill have been affected by SCP policy instruments. With regard to the system forming the subject of the case study, and Finnish industrial systems in general, policy instruments have succeeded in reducing emissions but not in systematically encouraging operators toward symbiosis-like activities. All in all, few studies exist on the overall impact of policy instruments promoting design of eco-industrial parks. It is not self-evident that symbiosis-like production systems would be sustainable in every case, as the background assumptions for political promotion of EIPs suggest. We concluded that industrial symbioses should be analysed and developed on a life cycle basis, with documentation of the real environmental benefits due to efficient resource use and decreased emissions in comparison to standalone production. ISs can then bring eco-competitiveness to companies in relation to SCP tools, such as environmental permits, ecolabels, and future product regulation based on the Ecodesign Directive in Europe. Indirect encouragement of symbiosis through land-use regulation and planning, in such a way that material fluxes between companies are possible both in operations and in financial terms, may prove effective. The same holds for waste policies that encourage increased reuse of a company’s waste by other enterprises.

Policy theme(s)

Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency
Resource efficiency >> Energy efficiency
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable production >> Sustainable business and industry
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable business and industry

Keywords

Industrial ecology; Industrial symbiosis; Eco-industrial park; Sustainable consumption and production; Policy instrument; Finland

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652611001181
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

suvi.lehtoranta@ymparisto.fi

Title

Identifying governance strategies that effectively support ecosystem services, resource sustainability, and biodiversity

Reference

PNAS March 29, 2011 vol. 108 no. 13 5308-5312
EU funded

Author(s)

R. E. Kenward , M. J. Whittingham, S. Arampatzis, B. D. Manos, T. Hahn, A. Terry, R. Simoncini, J. Alcorn, O. Bastian, M. Donlan, K. Elowe, F. Franzén, Z. Karacsonyi, M. Larsson, D. Manou, I. Navodaru, O. Papadopoulou, J. Papathanasiou, A. von Raggamby, R. J. A. Sharp, T. Söderqvist, Å. Soutukorva, L. Vavrova, N. J. Aebischer, N. Leader-Williams, and C. Rutz

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Conservation scientists, national governments, and international conservation groups seek to devise, and implement, governance strategies that mitigate human impact on the environment. However, few studies to date have systematically investigated the performance of different systems of governance in achieving successful conservation outcomes. Here, we use a newly-developed analytic framework to conduct analyses of a suite of case studies, linking different governance strategies to standardized scores for delivering ecosystem services, achieving sustainable use of natural resources, and conserving biodiversity, at both local and international levels. Our results: (i) confirm the benefits of adaptive management; and (ii) reveal strong associations for the role of leadership. Our work provides a critical step toward implementing empirically justified governance strategies that are capable of improving the management of human-altered environments, with benefits for both biodiversity and people.

Policy theme(s)

Environmental economics >> Ecosystem services   
Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Environmental governance and law                                                             

Keywords

adaptive governance; Convention on Biological Diversity; knowledge leadership; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment; policy making

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/13/5308.short
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

reke@ceh.ac.uk

Title

Taxing virgin natural resources: Lessons from aggregates taxation in Europe

Reference

Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Volume 55, Issue 11, September 2011, Pages 911-922

Author(s)

Patrik Söderholm

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The objective of this review paper is to analyze the efficiency of environmentally motivated taxes on virgin raw materials. We analyze both the economic–theoretical foundations of virgin natural resource taxation, and the empirical experiences of aggregates taxes i.e., taxes on, for instance, gravel, rock, stone, etc. in three European countries. These include Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The theoretical analysis indicates that taxing natural resource output or use typically represents a ‘second-best’ policy alternative, which can be used when, for instance, the monitoring of non-point source emissions is difficult or efficient property rights regimes cannot be established. The empirical analysis shows that the European aggregate taxes have assisted in reducing virgin resource use in spite of the relatively low own-price responses. However, generators of recycled materials typically have few incentives to enhance their waste sorting activities in the presence of a tax on virgin materials. Unless additional policies to increase the supply of recycled materials are implemented, supply will not increase much even in the presence of high demand. Finally, although second-best taxes are sometimes motivated by the desire to keep administration costs low, they could come at the cost of improper incentives and of limited policy legitimacy

Policy theme(s)

Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable business and industry
Waste >> Waste management >> Recycling

Keywords

Virgin natural resources, Environmental taxes, Recycling, Aggregates

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344911000942
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

patrik.soderholm@ltu.se

Title

Benchmarking environmental and operational parameters through eco-efficiency criteria for dairy farms

Reference

Science of The Total Environment

Author(s)

Diego Iribarren, Almudena Hospido, María Teresa Moreira and Gumersindo Feijoo

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is often used for the environmental evaluation of agri-food systems due to its holistic perspective. In particular, the assessment of milk production at farm level requires the evaluation of multiple dairy farms to guarantee the representativeness of the study when a regional perspective is adopted. This article shows the joint implementation of LCA and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in order to avoid the formulation of an average farm, therefore preventing standard deviations associated with the use of average inventory data while attaining the characterization and benchmarking of the operational and environmental performance of dairy farms. Within this framework, 72 farms located in Galicia (NW Spain) were subject to an LCA + DEA study which led to identify those farms with an efficient operation. Furthermore, target input consumption levels were benchmarked for each inefficient farm, and the corresponding target environmental impacts were calculated so that eco-efficiency criteria were verified. Thus, average reductions of up to 38% were found for input consumption levels, leading to impact reductions above 20% for every environmental impact category. Finally, the economic savings arising from efficient farming practices were also estimated. Economic savings of up to 0.13€ per liter of raw milk were calculated, which means extra profits of up to 40% of the final raw milk price.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture>> Agricultural management>> Livestock management
Resource efficiency>> Materials>> Material efficiency

Keywords

Dairy; Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA); Efficiency; Food; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); Milk

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969711001628
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

diego.iribarren@imdea.org

Title

Drivers for the use of materials across countries Critical Perspectives of Sustainable Development Research and Practice - Utrecht 2009

Reference

Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume 19, Issue 8, May 2011, Pages 816-826

Author(s)

Sören Steger and Raimund Bleischwitz

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

This paper analyses drivers for resource use and material productivity across countries. This is not only relevant in light of soaring raw material prices but also because EU policies, such as the ‘Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources’ (COM [2005] 670), the EU Raw Materials Initiative (COM [2008] 699) and various similar policies internationally, seek to better manage materials along their life-cycle and across economies. In order to better understand the system dynamics of material use, our paper applies methodologies of material flow analysis and regression analysis to identify the major drivers for resource use and decoupling from GDP. Drivers are understood as those factors that exert influence on human activities to use resources. A panel data set is taken for the European Union for the years 1980-2000 (EU-15) and 1992-2000 (EU-25). The main drivers of resource use were found to be energy efficiency, new dwellings and roads construction activities. Shortcomings of the methodology are also discussed.

Policy theme(s)

Resource efficiency>> Materials>>Material efficiency

Keywords

Drivers; Decoupling; MFA; Regression analysis

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652610003446
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

soeren.steger@wupperinst.org

Title

Material and Energy Productivity

Reference

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (4), pp 1169-1176
DOI: 10.1021/es1028537

Author(s)

Julia K. Steinberger and Fridolin Krausmann

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Resource productivity, measured as GDP output per resource input, is a widespread sustainability indicator combining economic and environmental information. Resource productivity is ubiquitous, from the IPAT identity to the analysis of dematerialization trends and policy goals. High resource productivity is interpreted as the sign of a resource-efficient, and hence more sustainable, economy. Its inverse, resource intensity (resource per GDP) has the reverse behavior, with higher values indicating environmentally inefficient economies. In this study, we investigate the global systematic relationship between material, energy and carbon productivities, and economic activity. We demonstrate that different types of materials and energy exhibit fundamentally different behaviors, depending on their international income elasticities of consumption. Biomass is completely inelastic, whereas fossil fuels tend to scale proportionally with income. Total materials or energy, as aggregates, have intermediate behavior, depending on the share of fossil fuels and other elastic resources. We show that a small inelastic share is sufficient for the total resource productivity to be significantly correlated with income. Our analysis calls into question the interpretation of resource productivity as a sustainability indicator. We conclude with suggestions for potential alternatives.

Policy theme(s)

Resource efficiency>>Materials>>Material efficiency
Resource efficiency>>Energy efficiency

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es1028537
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

julias@alum.mit.edu

Title

Nuclear Energy in Europe: Uranium Flow Modelling and Fuel Cycle Scenario Trade-Offs from a Sustainability Perspective

Reference

Environmental Science and Technology
dx.doi.org/10.1021/es103270a

Author(s)

Danielle M. Tendall, and Claudia R. Binder

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The European nuclear fuel cycle (covering the EU-27, Switzerland and Ukraine) was modeled using material flow analysis (MFA).The analysis was based on publicly available data from nuclear energy agencies and industries, national trade offices, and nongovernmental organizations. Military uranium was not considered due to lack of accessible data. Nuclear fuel cycle scenarios varying spent fuel reprocessing, depleted uranium re-enrichment, enrichment assays, and use of fast neutron reactors, were established. They were then assessed according to environmental, economic and social criteria such as resource depletion, waste production, chemical and radiation emissions, costs, and proliferation risks. The most preferable scenario in the short term is a combination of reduced tails assay and enrichment grade, allowing a 17.9% reduction of uranium demand without significantly increasing environmental, economic, or social risks. In the long term, fast reactors could theoretically achieve a 99.4% decrease in uranium demand and nuclear waste production. However, this involves important costs and proliferation risks. Increasing material efficiency is not systematically correlated with the reduction of other risks. This suggests that an overall optimization of the nuclear fuel cycle is difficult to obtain. Therefore, criteria must be weighted according to stakeholder interests in order to determine the most sustainable solution. This paper models the flows of uranium and associated materials in Europe, and provides a decision support tool for identifying the trade-offs of the alternative nuclear fuel cycles considered.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es103270a
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

danielle.tendall@art.admin.ch  

Title

Fertiliser availability in a resource-limited world: Production and recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus

Reference

Food Policy
Volume 36, Supplement 1, January 2011, Pages S14-S22

Author(s)

C.J. Dawson and J. Hilton

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Without the input of fertiliser nitrogen it is estimated that only about half of the current global population can be supplied with sufficient food energy and protein. The anticipated increase in the population to 2050 will increase the dependency on fertiliser inputs. The paper examines the different potential sources of energy and hydrogen required for this essential fixation of atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available nitrogenous fertiliser and concludes that methane from natural gas is clearly the most suitable source. In the absence of a cost-effective alternative source of hydrogen it is recommended that an on-going requirement for methane is acknowledged and that consideration be given to strategic reserves for the production of food. Phosphorus is also an essential and unsubstitutable nutrient for plants and animals, but while the global reserves of atmospheric nitrogen are effectively unlimited, the reserves of phosphate rock are finite. Recent estimates of the reserve suggest that at the current rate of use this resource will become exhausted within some hundreds of years. The annual increment of phosphorus contained in the human population is estimated to be in the order of 1 Mt/yr, which is a small proportion of the quantity mined. There is a clear requirement to ensure that phosphorus is recycled to a large extent, so that the rate of exhaustion of the reserves of phosphate rock is significantly reduced. Legislation relating to the management of phosphorus appears entirely associated with its potential to upset natural ecosystems, with apparently no regulations yet requiring the efficient use and reuse of a scarce resource.

Policy theme(s)

Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency

Keywords

Nitrogen fertiliser, Methane, Ammonia production, Phosphate rock reserves, Phosphorus cycle, Phosphorus requirement, Recycling

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919210001260
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

chris@cjdawson.co.uk

Title

Potential Environmental Impacts of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs): Metallic Resources, Toxicity, and Hazardous Waste Classification

Reference

Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45 (1), pp 320-327
DOI: 10.1021/es101052q

Author(s)

Seong-Rin Lim, Daniel Kang, Oladele A. Ogunseitan, and Julie M. Schoenung

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are advertised as environmentally friendly because they are energy efficient and mercury-free. This study aimed to determine if LEDs engender other forms of environmental and human health impacts, and to characterize variation across different LEDs based on color and intensity. The objectives are as follows: (i) to use standardized leachability tests to examine whether LEDs are to be categorized as hazardous waste under existing United States federal and California state regulations; and (ii) to use material life cycle impact and hazard assessment methods to evaluate resource depletion and toxicity potentials of LEDs based on their metallic constituents. According to federal standards, LEDs are not hazardous except for low-intensity red LEDs, which leached Pb at levels exceeding regulatory limits (186 mg/L; regulatory limit: 5). However, according to California regulations, excessive levels of copper (up to 3892 mg/kg; limit: 2500), Pb (up to 8103 mg/kg; limit: 1000), nickel (up to 4797 mg/kg; limit: 2000), or silver (up to 721 mg/kg; limit: 500) render all except low-intensity yellow LEDs hazardous. The environmental burden associated with resource depletion potentials derives primarily from gold and silver, whereas the burden from toxicity potentials is associated primarily with arsenic, copper, nickel, lead, iron, and silver. Establishing benchmark levels of these substances can help manufacturers implement design for environment through informed materials substitution, can motivate recyclers and waste management teams to recognize resource value and occupational hazards, and can inform policymakers who establish waste management policies for LEDs.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Pollutants/hazardous substances >> Heavy metals
Resource efficiency >> Materials >> Material efficiency
Waste >> Waste management >> Hazardous waste

Keywords

LEDs, hazardous waste

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/es101052q
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

jmschoenung@ucdavis.edu