Module 3 Notes
Module 3 Notes
Module 3 Notes
ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective
environmental management system (EMS). It provides a framework that an organization can
follow, rather than establishing environmental performance requirements.
Part of the ISO 14000 family of standards on environmental management, ISO 14001 is a
voluntary standard that organizations can certify to. Integrating it with other management
systems standards, most commonly ISO 9001, can further assist in accomplishing
organizational goals.
ISO 14001:2015 should be used by any organization that wishes to set up, improve, or maintain
an environmental management system to conform with its established environmental policy
and requirements. The requirements of the standard can be incorporated into any environmental
management system, the extent to which is determined by several factors including the
organization’s industry, environmental policy, products and service offerings, and location.
ISO 14001:2015 is relevant to all organizations, regardless of size, location, sector, or industry.
Operation
Performance evaluation
Improvement
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ISO 14001:2015?
Using ISO 14001:2015 has many benefits for organizations with environmental management
systems. Organizations and companies find that using the standard helps them:
1. Reduce waste
2. Drive down costs
3. Provide assurance that environmental impact is being measured
4. Gain competitive advantage in supply chain design
5. Increase new business opportunities
6. Meet legal obligations
7. Increase stakeholder and customer trust
8. Improve overall environmental impact
9. Manage environmental obligations with consistency
10. Improve resource efficiency
1. Goal and scope definition: Before starting an LCA it’s important to define a clear goal
and scope of study. This will be used to select a robust calculation method.
2. Inventory analysis: Once the goal, scope and method have been determined the
important stage of inventory analysis can begin. We will work with you to collect
primary data from your supply chain, or will work to collect the most robust data in the
literature. we need to understand the consumption of all materials and energy and
creation of waste associated with your product (system). We can then use this data to
build a sophisticated LCA model.
3. Life cycle impact assessment: With the data collected and a model built we can start
to produce LCA results. We can analyse 20 different LCA impact categories, including
energy, carbon, water, toxicity, eutrophication, acidification, metal depletion and more.
4. Interpretation (conclusions and recommendations): This is the key output of the life
cycle assessment. The results will be analysed in detail to determine the impact hotspots
and the key environmental impact categories. These can then be used to make
recommendations for improvement.
LCA can be done for for materials, products, buildings, services and supply chains. Typically
LCA studies fall into one of the types below:
Streamlined LCA: A streamlined LCA relies heavily on secondary data and professional life
cycle assessment software to produce rapid results. This streamlined approach can produce
results quickly and is therefore useful for initial hot-spotting and testing conclusions before
embarking upon a detailed study. Streamlined LCA is useful to determine if a full LCA is
needed.
Detailed LCA: A detailed life cycle assessment is required for the maximum robustness, or if
the study is comparative and to be released in the public domain.
LCA training: For further information on LCA training we have online and workshop based
courses.
LCA peer review: To achieve maximum credibility a peer review is recommended. LCA is a
detailed field. If an LCA is comparative and to be released in the public domain the ISO
standards on LCA require that independent peer review is completed.
An LCA covers many different environmental impacts. However, it also includes carbon
footprint or embodied carbon results. The results for carbon are still typically the indicator of
most interest. They are also useful to support claims of carbon neutrality or net zero carbon.
Advantages of LCA:
• LCA allows analysis of all steps within the life cycle of a product.
• LCAs are currently becoming a hot button issue in industry and regulatory
organizations alike.
Disadvantages of LCA :
Completing a full life cycle analysis on complicated products is much easier said than
done (the larger your scope, the more complicated the LCA).
Requires complete data which sometimes are very daunting.
LCAs depending on the specific product or process, can be very time intensive.
Lack of Global Standards.
Circular economy
A circular economy (often referred to simply as "circularity") is an economic system aimed at
eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Circular systems employ reuse, sharing,
repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling to create a closed-loop system,
minimising the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon
emissions. The circular economy aims to keep products, equipment and infrastructure in use for longer,
thus improving the productivity of these resources. All "waste" should become "food" for another process:
either a by-product or recovered resource for another industrial process or as regenerative resources for
nature (e.g., compost). This regenerative approach is in contrast to the traditional linear economy, which has
a "take, make, dispose" model of production
The circular economy takes production processes into consideration and outlines how to reuse,
repair, and recycle items, thus increasing sustainable manufacturing and consumption. This
way, in addition to reducing waste, saves energy and helps avoid irreversible damage caused
in terms of climate and biodiversity, as well as in terms of air, soil, and water pollution, owing
to the use of resources at a rate that exceeds the Earth's capacity to renew them.
Society as a whole can and must help the circular economy become a widespread reality. For
example, the UN has established the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure sustainable
consumption and production patterns (Goal 12). These 17 goals are ambitious and universal,
set forth as a call to action, so the main environmental, social and economic challenges the
planet is facing can be addressed.
What Is Biomimicry?
Biomimicry (literally: imitation of the living ) aims to take inspiration from natural selection
solutions adopted by nature and translate the principles to human engineering. The biomimicry
approach aims to favor “choices” tested by nature which had millions of years to understand
what works best and what doesn’t. Designs following biometrics will ultimately allow human
productions to be more efficient, resilient and sustainable.
tested patterns and strategies. The goal is to create products, processes, and policies—new ways
of living—that are well-adapted to life on earth over the long haul.”
The central idea is that nature has already fixed many problems society is facing. Animals,
plants, and microorganisms are experienced engineers. They know what works, what’s
appropriate, and most importantly, what lasts on Earth. The main belief of the biomimicry
approach is that after 3,8 billion years of research and development, what did not work is now
a fossil and what is around us is the secret to survival.
A model. It studies nature’s models and imitates them or uses them as inspiration for designs
or processes with the goal of solving human problems
Biomimicry concerns many sectors of human activity. From medicine to research, industry,
economy, architecture and urban planning, agriculture and management… This list is not
exhaustive because biomimicry is, above all, a question of how we approach these areas of
expertise. Therefore, it may apply more or less directly to all sectors.
The concept of biomimicry is based on a key idea: nature always operates on the principles of
economy and efficiency while generating no waste. Remember Lavoir saying “nothing is lost,
nothing is created, everything is transformed”? That’s the idea. No matter the field of
application, the biomimetic philosophy is part of a global strategy of responsible and
sustainable development that aims to balance the way the planet’s resources are used.
Examples Of Biomimicry
Climbing pads capable of supporting human weight are a mimic of the biomechanics of gecko
feet.
The aerodynamics of the famous Japanese Bullet train was inspired by the shape of a bird’s
beak.
The first flying machine heavier than the air from the Wright brothers, in 1903, was inspired
by flying pigeons.
Velcro is born from the observation of the hooks implemented by some plants for the
propagation of their seeds via animal’s coat.
The study of shark skin is at the origin of particularly effective swimming suits, as well as a
varnish for planes fuselage
SCREENING: Screening is the first stage of the EIA process which results in a key EIA
decision, namely to either conduct the assessment (based on the likely significant impacts) or
not conduct it (in the anticipated absence of such impacts). Screening needs to follow specific
procedures often described in the legislation so all the projects follow the same process.
Key contributions of screening to a good EIA:
Facilitates informed decision making by providing clear, well-structured, factual analysis of
the effects and consequences of proposed actions.
Influences both project selection and policy design by screening out environmentally and/or
socially unsound proposals, as well as modifying feasible action.
WHY THE SCREENING IS CONDUCTED
An essential aspect of conducting an EIA is to determine the level of impact of the proposed
project, development or initiative. When we look at major development projects—especially
those involving natural resources, such as mining, hydroelectric dams, or oil extraction—we
can say for certain that they will require an environmental and social impact assessment. On
the other hand, while the development of a tourism project may seem low-risk at first, a second
look could reveal that the project requires large amounts of drinking water, energy, the removal
of endangered flora or fauna, and will result in extensive sewage production. It may also lead
to increased road and air traffic to deliver supplies, visitors and workers. Finally, the impacts
of project could change over time. Thus, during the screening step as well as the whole EIA
process, impacts are considered over the lifetime of the project, from the construction phase
through to operations and after closing.
Most proposals can be screened very quickly because they will have few impacts and will be
screened out of the EIA process. Only a limited number of proposals, usually large-scale
projects, require a full EIA because they will likely have major irreversible impacts on
environmental resources or on people’s health, livelihoods or cultural heritage. However, many
projects with medium impacts will require an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which
is a component of a full EIA. EMPs are further described in Step 4: Impact Management.
SCOPING: Scoping is a critical step in the preparation of an EIA, as it identifies the issues
that are likely to be of most importance during the EIA and eliminates those that are of little
concern. Scoping is a systematic exercise that establishes the boundaries of your EIA and sets
the basis of the analyses you will conduct at each stage. A quality scoping study reduces the
risk of including inappropriate components or excluding components that should be addressed.
It involves:
Identifying all relevant issues and factors, including cumulative effects, social impacts, and
health risks.
Identifying the important issues to be considered in the EIA, such as setting the baseline and
identifying alternatives.
A project scoping activity can be carried out in nine main steps. These are:
Conduct public meetings and stakeholder consultations; integrate comments and collected
feedback into project planning and the alternatives.
Outline a set of environmental, biological and socioeconomic resources and issues that will be
addressed in the assessment.
Identify the project impacts, during its all stages, list the significant and non-significant impacts
and explain why.
Identify a set of data for baseline descriptions and potential additional data collection needs.
Impact assessment refers to the detailed evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of
the planned project and identified alternatives, compared to the baseline conditions. This
includes qualitative descriptions such as measuring high, medium and low impacts, and
quantitative descriptions, such as indicating the cubic metres of water withdrawn, sewage
produced, and pollutants released. This is done for the planned project as well as the identified
alternatives, allowing for comparisons. Once the detailed assessment is complete, mitigation
measures to reduce or avoid impacts are identified.
Preventive measures that avoid the occurrence of impacts and thus avoid harm or even produce
positive outcomes.
Measures that focus on limiting the severity and the duration of the impacts.
Compensation mechanisms for those impacts that are unavoidable and cannot be reduced
further.
Key impacts and potential mitigation actions often relate to land. Almost all development
proposals involve disturbance of the land surface. This is usually extensive for major linear
projects (roads, pipelines), dams and reservoirs, and large-scale mining, agriculture, forestry
and housing schemes. Environmental impacts of particular concern can include drainage of
wetlands, conversion of natural areas, or expansion into areas that are vulnerable to natural
hazards.
The key contributions of impact assessment and mitigation to a good EIA include:
It provides a clear and itemized list of relevant impacts on the environment and people,
including cumulative effects, social impacts, and health risks.
Based on the results of the impact assessment, a detailed list of mitigation actions is identified.
IMPACT MANAGEMENT
Essentially, impact management is the creation of a series of plans and protocols aiming to
manage and monitor the identified mitigation measures and risks that may occur over the
project lifetime, such as technology failures and natural disasters. Some of the plans are
compulsory, such as an environmental management plan (EMP), which is required as part of
an EIA report in most countries. Other plans are context-specific and/or depend on guidance
from national legislation. For example, if the project takes place in close proximity to a
community, a resettlement plan may be needed; if there are no communities close by, a
resettlement plan would not be necessary. Impact Management begins during the project’s
planning phase and continues on after project implementation.
THE EIA REPORT: The EIA Report is a compilation of several important project
components, including the project description, the assessment of its environmental and social
impacts, mitigation measures, and related management and monitoring plans. During this step,
all the information gathered during the previous steps is compiled into a comprehensive report
that analyzes and synthesizes the data, structuring it as stipulated in the terms of reference
(TOR).
It results in the satisfactory prediction of the adverse effects of the proposed actions and their
mitigation using conventional and customized techniques.
There are many challenges in putting together a comprehensive EIA. These include incomplete
identification of the critical impacts, insufficiently described alternatives and mitigation
measures, and the use of outdated assessment models. The table below describes several
examples of typical EIA reports and the types of shortcomings they could present.
INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
Definition
Industrial ecology conceptualises industry as a man-made ecosystem that operates in a similar
way to natural ecosystems, where the waste or by product of one process is used as an input
into another process. Industrial ecology interacts with natural ecosystems and attempts to move
from a linear to cyclical or closed loop system. Like natural ecosystems, industrial ecology is
in a continual state of flux.
B. Main Features
Industrial processes, from material extraction through to product disposal, have an adverse
impact upon the environment. Industrial ecology aims to reduce environmental stress caused
by industry whilst encouraging innovation, resource efficiency and sustained growth. Industrial
ecology acknowledges that industry will continue operate and expand however, it supports
industry that is environmentally conscious and has less burden upon the planet. It views
industrial sites as part of a wider ecology rather than an external, solitary entity.
Within the industrial ecology concept, industry interacts with nature and utilises the wastes and
by products of other industries as inputs into its own processes. Industrial ecology ranges from
purely industrial ecosystems to purely natural ecosystems with a range of hybrid
industrial/natural ecosystems in between. Covering both industrial management and
technology, industrial ecology encompasses other sustainability concepts and tools such as
material flows analysis; environmentally sound technologies; design for disassembly; and
dematerialisation.
Create industrial ecosystems - close the loop; view waste as a resource; create partnerships
with other industries to trade by-products which are used as inputs to other processes.
Balance industrial inputs and outputs to natural levels - manage the environmental-industrial
interface; increase knowledge of ecosystem behaviour, recovery time and capacity; increase
knowledge of how and when industry can interact with natural ecosystems and the limitations.
Dematerialisation of industrial output - use less virgin materials and energy by becoming more
resource efficient; reuse materials or substituting more environmentally friendly materials; do
more with less.
Improve the efficiency of industrial processes - redesign products, processes, equipment; reuse
materials to conserve resources.
Energy use - incorporate energy supply within the industrial ecology; use alternative sources
of energy that have less or no impact upon the environment.
Align policies with the industrial ecology concept - incorporate environment and economics
into organisational, national and international policies; internalize the externalities; use
economic instruments to encourage a move towards industrial ecology; use a more appropriate
discount rate; use a more comprehensive index to measure a nation's wealth rather than GNP.
The benefits of industrial ecology include: cost savings (materials purchasing, licensing fees,
waste disposal fees, etc); improved environmental protection; income generation through
selling waste or by products; enhanced corporate image; improved relations with other
industries and organisations and market advantages. Limitations to industrial ecology include:
no market for materials; lack of support from government and industry; reluctance of industry
to invest in appropriate technology; perceived legal implications and reluctance to move to
another supplier.
The formation of virtual or physical eco-parks arises from clusters of industry that agree to
supply or sell waste to each other, thereby moving towards the industrial ecology concept. Most
eco-parks are virtual due to the high cost associated with relocating facilities. However some
physical eco-parks are being designed whereby certain industries are located on the same site.
1. Industry Partnerships
Since the 1970's several industries in Denmark have supplied or sold by products and wastes
to other industries. Asnaes, the largest coal-fired power plant in Denmark, sold processed steam
to Statoil (an oil refinery) and Novo Nordisk (a pharmaceutical plant). Some of Asnaes' surplus
heat was supplied to the town's heating scheme, reducing the number of domestic oil burning
systems in use. Surplus heat was also used to heat the water of Asnaes' commercial fish farm.
Local farmers used sludge from the fish farm as fertilizer. By treating some of its waste, Novo
Nordisk sold high nutrient liquid sludge to farmers. Statoil supplied cooling and purified waste
water to Asnaes which reduced Asnaes' freshwater extraction. In addition, Statoil removed
sulphur from its surplus gas and sold all of its cleaned surplus gas to Asnaes and Gyproc (a
plasterboard factory). The removed sulfur was sold to Kemira (a sulfuric acid producer). By
desulfurising its smoke, Asnaes sold the resulting calcium sulfate to Gyproc as an alternative
to mined gypsum which was being imported.
These partnerships were formed voluntarily and negotiated independently. Initially for purely
economic reasons, some of the later deals were made for environmental reasons.
INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS
Industrial symbiosis is a form of brokering to bring companies together in innovative
collaborations, finding ways to use the waste from one as raw materials for another.
The word “symbiosis” is usually associated with relationships in nature, where two or more
species exchange materials, energy, or information in a mutually beneficial manner.
Local or wider co-operation in industrial symbiosis can reduce the need for virgin raw material
and waste disposal, thereby closing the material loop – a fundamental feature of the circular
economy and a driver for green growth and eco-innovative solutions. It can also reduce
emissions and energy use and create new revenue streams.
Currently, Europe has some EU support networks for industrial symbiosis and European
Innovation Partnerships such as National Programmes (e.g. NISP (UK)), regional initiatives
(e.g. Cleantech Östergötland (Sweden)) and Local initiatives (e.g. Kalundborg in Denmark).
However, in order to make industrial symbiosis a wide-spread commercial reality, more needs
to be done to manage the flow of waste material from different sectors and industries, and there
is still much to understand about: environmental and societal impacts harmonization of
technologies, processes, policies civil society engagement to a circular economy at EU level
waste resources information waste treatment technologies business models and coordination
between value chain actors.