8.1 Flashcards
sustainability
long term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic and social dimensions
sustainable development
meets needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
what approach do designers have to take for sustainable development
holistic approach – looking at whole picture; all design stages, all stakeholders etc
strategies to promote sustainable development
1 triple bottom line sustainability
2 decoupling
3 sustainability reporting
4 product stewardship
TBL
triple bottom line – a spectrum of criteria for measuring organisational success (economic, environmental, social). focus not only profitability, but also its benefit for society/environment
2 main strategies to measure TBL
1 monetising TBL components (issue – how do u place a value on those things?)
2 indexing value of TBL components
what is the issue w monetising social, environmental, financial components to measure TBL?
how do u place a value on those things?
why r businesses interested in TBL
bcs focus on sustainability => resource/E use reduction, health of workers etc is directly related to cutting costs
TBL in terms of environment
u can deliver the same goods w lower environmental impact
impacts:
- maintaining ecosystem by optimising resources
- more efficient production system (by considering E consumption)
- air, water quality
- work within carrying capacity
TBL in terms of social
thinking abt standards of living
impacts:
- enhancing quality of life for everyone
- empowerement of local communities
- better education level + access to it
- gender equality
TBL in terms of economic
- decrease resource consumption (cost effective strategies)
- job creation, investment in local economies
decoupling
two trends that disconnect so that one no longer depends on the other. like using resources more productively and redesigning production systems to ensure equivalent
what does decoupling aim to do
to separate economic growth from environmental pressure
what does designer need to do regarding decoupling
consider how to make the same solution while reducing resources used
- reducing the link between economic growth and resource consumption –> resource decoupling
- reducing the environmental impacts –> impact decoupling
2 types of decoupling designers can use
1) more efficient w resources –> resource decoupling
2) processes that reduce environmental impact over its time –> impact decoupling
levels of decoupling
1 no decoupling = economic output and resource use grow at same rate
2 relative decoupling = economic output and resource use are both rising but resource use is rising at a faster rate
3 absolute decoupling = economic output increased but splits from use of resources (which is decreasing)
what do international laws do for sustainability
they can ensure countries enforce domestic legislation in transparent manner
sustainability reporting
company report that focuses on 4 aspects of performance – economic, environmental, social, governance
4 aspects of performance in sustainability report
economic
environmental
social
governance
what does the reliability of sustainability reporting require
accurate data gathering
benefits of sustainability reporting for governments
info helps assess impact on economy, society, environment
see which issues arent being tackled
info helps drive progress
benefits of sustainability reporting for manufacturers
can promote positive reputation
drive innovation
opportunities to decrease resource and E consumption => economic savings
benefits of sustainability reporting for consumers
trust within brand
cheaper solutions
more innovative options available
assurance in sustainable practices of company
product stewardship
sustainable development strategy in which everyone involved in making, selling, buying, handling products takes responsibility for minimising env. impact of it at all stages in life cycle
a shift of responsibility between government manufacturers and consumers
