Sustainability MetricsMeasuring the Transition to a
Renewable, Abundant, Just San Diego Region
Noble Resources Group™ “Sustainable Market Development”™
Dan Noble
Noble Resources Group™“Sustainable Market Development”™ “We Build Healthy
Soil”2
San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership (SDRSP)
http://sdrsp.wordpress.com/
MissionThe largest volunteer-based consortium of business, government, academic & community organizations leading & promoting practices that support a sustainable future for the San Diego region.
FocusPartnership is a collaborative, bi-national and inter-regional effort to reduce pollution, enact energy savings and improve the quality for current and future generations in the region.
Noble Resources Group™“Sustainable Market Development”™ “We Build Healthy
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Topics
San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership (SDRSP)
SDRSP - Metrics Task Force Process, Steps, Examples Lesson’s Learned – 3P’s Revisited
Sustainability = Collaboration - People Sustainability = Renewability - Planet Sustainability = Abundance - Profit Sustainability = Integration - both horizontal & vertical,
internal and external
Barriers to Transformation Discussion
Noble Resources Group™“Sustainable Market Development”™ “We Build Healthy
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Metrics Task Force
Sustainability Metric Levels (holonic)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holon_(philosophy))
Increasing depth and complexity: Product – Green Product Labeling Facility – Green Building + Resource Throughput Company – All Products & Services Industry/Market – Renewable/Non-renewable Community – What’s included?
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Matrix of Sustainability Metric Systems
Review of Systems & Examples Global Reporting Initiative - www.globalreporting.org Global Environmental Management Initiative – www.GEMI.org ICLIE (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives)
- www.iclei.org City of Santa Monica, CA, www.smgov.net/departments/ose City of Portland, OR, www.portlandonline.com/osd City of Whistler, BC, Canada, www.whistler2020.ca
View the “Matrix of Sustainability Metrics System”…. MatrixofSus.MetricSystems061408.xls
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Metrics ReviewNumber of Sustainability Metrics
Reviewed and Selected by the SDRSP-MTF
Metrics Elements 2008 4/2009 7/2009
10/2009
Metrics (reviewed) 197 65
Core Metrics (decided) aka
“Index”
30 16
Objectives 9 9 8
Vision Statements 6
{Show Metrics Worksheet} Weighing,Conceptual Modeling
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Metrics Task Force – “Next Steps”… from 2009!
1. Circulate Findings2. Metrics Accountability3. Policy Development4. Metrics Champions5. MTF Continuing Work6. Metrics Budget7. Metrics Use8. Scope refinement/determination
Others doing great work: Equinox Center - Regional Dashboard
www.equinoxcenter.org
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Lesson’s Learned – 3P’s Revisited
Sustainability = Collaboration – People
Sustainability = Renewability – Planet
Sustainability = Abundance – Profit
Sustainability = Integration – both Internal & External, and Horizontal & Vertical
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Sustainability = Collaboration
All about managing differences!Conflict Contrast Collaboration
Forcing Collaboration
Avoidance Accommodation
Compromise
SELF ASSERTIVE100
COMPASSIONATE1000
0
Collaboration
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Sustainability = Renewability
Linear to Circular Economy
Nested Cycles and Markets
Zero Waste … or darn near!
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Journey to Sustainability: Development of a Circular Economy
Linear Economy*Natural Resources &Resource Industries
•Air•Water•Land & Minerals•Energy•Biological
IndustrialProcesses, Distribution & Product Use
Waste & Pollution
From Eugene Odum, Ecology, 1963 and www.Ecocycle.org, 2008
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Commodity Price Increases
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Circular, Zero Waste, Economy*
Natural Resources &Resource Industries
•Air•Water•Land & Minerals•Energy•Biological
IndustrialProcesses, Distribution & Product Use
Waste & Pollution
Environmental Industry
Journey to Sustainability: Development of a Circular Economy
From Eugene Odum, Ecology, 1963 and www.Ecocycle.org, 2008
Noble Resources Group™“Sustainable Market Development”™ “We Build Healthy
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Circular Economy: Biological & Technical Nutrients
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The Organics Value Cycle
Generate:•Landscape trimmings•Food/Ag waste•Biosolids•Manure
Use:•Landscape•Agriculture•Environmental•Bioenergy
Haul, Pre-process:
Process:•Compost•Chip and Grind•Anaerobic Digestion•Fertilizer•Energy (gas, electric)
Market:•Compost•Fertilizer•Energy
Gov. Agencies• EPA: air, water, solids• LEA, Planning, CDFA• CEC/PUC, etc., etc.Stakeholders• Env. Eng. & Tech.• Env. Activists
Communicate (Sell!)& Report
Communicate& Report
Communicate& Report
Communicate& Report
Communicate& Report
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Nested Resource Cycles
Tier 1: Residential, On-site/Facility - “Onsite Market”
Tier 2: Community, Municipality, Agency – Wholesale - Retail “Markets”
Tier 3: Between Communities – “Government to Wholesale Markets ”
Industry
ResidentialCommercial
No one niche is “right,” correct or “the best.” Sanitation (water & solids) agencies are typically involved in all at the same
time. Solids & Water Market Development Strategies and Tactics must work
synergistically to build resource value and system efficiency (esp. w/ energy!!). This is still a goal to which all our communities are actively working.
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Zero Waste Movement*
Zero Waste is emerging as a: paradigm shift, a new, comprehensive socio-technical system,
that addresses our resource use from product
design to disposal “Cradle to Cradle” -
http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm
* From www.EcoCycle.org
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Zero Waste Movement
There are four central concepts to the Zero Waste system:
1. Changing the Rules to support resource recovery;
2. Producer Responsibility to hold industry liable for creating less toxic and more efficient products;
3. Purchasing for Zero Waste to use our buying power as our voice for Zero Waste; and
4. Resource Recovery Infrastructure to build the processing and recovery systems to move us toward Zero Waste. Learn more about all these aspects and the Zero Waste System.
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Provide Incentives Before Ban or Mandate
Eliminate Waste by Designing Out of Products and Processes
Foster Sustainable and Green Businesses
Retailers Take Back Difficult to Recycle Materials
Resource Recovery Park
Producer Responsibility
Expand City Outreach & Technical Assistance and Lead by Example
Jobs from Design & Discards
© Copyright Eco-Cycle, 2004 with text modifications by permission.www.ecocycle.org/zerowaste/zwsystem
Empowered Consumer
Zero Waste System (Replace with Oakland version)
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Zero Waste, Resource Recovery Centers (EcoParks)
Seven key Zero Waste Facilities Needed:
1. Re-Use Facilities – e.g. like thrift stores (www.reusealliance.org)
2. The MRF – “Materials Recovery Facility” (sorting) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materials_recovery_facility
3. C&D Facilities – “Construction & Demolition” debris recycling4. Composting Facility – to recycle “dry” organics5. Aerobic & Anaerobic Digestion Facilities – to extract energy
and/or produce fertilizer products from “wet” organics6. The CHaRM – “Center for Hard to Recycle Materials7. Residue Facility – like the old “landfill” but VERY MUCH smaller
Can often be built at active or closed landfills!
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Urban Ore® To end the Age of Waste
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Resource Recovery Park, U.K.
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Know Your DiscardsMaterial % in Wastes Value ($/ton)
1. Reusables 6% $400
2. Putrescibles 26% $35
3. Paper 21% $100
4. Ceramics (C&D)
10% $15
5. Metals 9% $80
6. Polymers 9% $150
7. Soils 6% $15
8. Glass 4% $25
9. Textiles 3% $20
10. Plant Debris 3% $35
11. Wood 2% $15
12. Chemicals 1% $200
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Sustainability = Abundance
Well Being is about feeling the positive energy!
Happiness and Joy (Well-Being, Pure-Potential) is a choice (to Be, Allow, Receive), not based on conditions(!)
Financial Abundance (wealth, profit) is about “feeling wealthy first” … money, like entropy, is always expanding… money is not limited by physical matter or energy… it’s an exchange of value (good will) which has no limit(!)
Relationships (culture, society, people) are about non-separation… which is always already the case… we are all connected anyway … so receive your friends(!)
Resource Abundance (planet) is about living the circle, efficiently not necessarily accumulating stuff.
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Sustainability = Integration
Both horizontal & vertical,Internal (subjective) & External (objective)
Ways of viewing reality – perspectives
All “true” … but partial!
Life & Consciousness are evolving,
Development recapitulates evolution
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Barriers to Transformation
They’re in our mind (culture/consciousness) … AND imbedded in past investments (financial)!
Specialized (non-integrated) Professions E.g. civil, structural, electrical, chemical “engineers” vs. ecological engineers Air, water or solid specialists, vs. cradle-to-cradle integralists!
Resources Laws Based on Linear vs. Circular Economic Model
Profit-centric (economic) vs. Planet & People-centric view Trillions of Dollars of “Sunk Investments”
E.g. Old refineries, manufacturing practices, mines, etc., etc. People DO NOT want to “abandon” those investments!
Solutions Include - Building Economies of Scope vs. Economies of Scale
i.e. lot’s of little, distributed, integrated values, vs. a few, large, centralized, specialized values
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Reference Sites Global Reporting Initiative, www.globalreporting.org Global Environmental Management Initiative – www.GEMI.org ICLIE (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) -www.iclei.org International Society of Sustainability Professionals,
www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org Grass Roots Recycling Network, www.grrn.org Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, www.livingeconomies.org GreenSource Network www.greensourcenetwork.net San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership www.sdrsp.org US Green Chamber www.usgreenchamber.com Green Chamber of San Diego County www.greenchambersd.com City of Portland, Office of Sustainable Development,
http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm Sustainable Business.com www.sustainablebusiness.com Sustainable Industries, www.sustainableindustries.com CorporateResponsibility.net www.corporateresponsibility.net Environmental Business Journal, www.ebiusa.com Terry Tamminen, “Lives per Gallon: The True Cost of our Oil Addition”
www.terrytamminen.com Paul Hawken, “The Ecology of Commerce” www.paulhawken.com Natural Capital Institute, www.naturalcapital.org Ecocycle, Inc., www.ecocycle.org Ecological Engineering Group, www.ecological-engineering.com
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Questions?Comments?Discussion…
(619) [email protected]
Dan NobleNoble Resources Group™
“Sustainable Market Development”™