Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
socio-economic assessment, environmental impact assessment on different scales and
levels up to the strategic environmental impact assessment and life cycle analysis (LCA).
A comprehensive and general concept, which not only would tell the way of assess-
ment, but also the most suitable combination of the methods, the so-called tool battery ,
is still missing. LCA is used as a complete tool in many cases, although it can measure
only some globally important impacts (material and energy requirement, GHG emis-
sion) but not the environmental and human health risks of chemicals or the hygienic
and epidemic risks. LCA is a perfect comparative tool for product design and business
strategy, but not a standalone evaluation alternative in environmental decision sup-
port. And the same could be stated of the other practiced assessment methods: none of
them is generally valid, their scope is limited to one type of management task, such as
product development, spatial planning, regulation of chemicals, or managing contam-
inated sites, etc. All of these assessment tools have well established components, which
can be disseminated and utilized more widely when their applicability and boundaries
have been specified.
Another open question is that of which tools within the tool battery are, can be
or should be quantitative and how ecosystem quality can be quantified and create a
common denominator for all the economic, ecological and social, cultural, etc. issues
which must be taken into consideration in the decision-making process. As decision
making is always a tiered process, the degree of detail and quantitativeness of an
assessment could be assigned to the individual tiers.
Eco-efficiency , the term itself was defined by the World Business Council for Sus-
tainable Development (WBCSD, 2013) and used first at the Rio de Janeiro Earth
Summit (1992). Eco-efficiency can be measured as the ratio of the added value of the
product or service to its environmental impacts. The term eco-efficiency was endorsed
as a new business concept and used as the synonym for sustainability by WBCSD.
Sustainability defined as “the capacity to endure'' regards human and environ-
mental aspects as equal. Sustainable ecosystem means a diverse biological system
which remains productive over time, a necessary precondition for human well-being.
Sustainability for humans is the long-term maintenance of well-being, which has
environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions. “Achieving sustainability
will enable the earth to continue supporting human life as we know it'', says the
definition suggesting that qualitative development has priority against quantitative
growth.
The message of WBCSD intends to find harmony between business and ecosystem
requirements and is summarized in 10 points:
1
Business is good for sustainable development and sustainable development is
good for business.
2
Business cannot succeed in societies that fail. There is no future for successful
business if the societies that surround it are not working.
3
Poverty is a key enemy to stable societies, creating political and economic
instability.
4
Access to markets for all supports sustainable development. Sustainable devel-
opment is best achieved through open, transparent and competitive global
markets.
5
Good governance is needed to make business a part of the solution.
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