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SECTION 5:
INTRODUCING THE CORE CONCEPTS
OF ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT
This section introduces cleaner production, eco-efficiency, industrial ecology and
life-cycle assessment, which will provide the reader with a greater appreciation of
the EMS philosophy.
5.1 Cleaner Production
While traditional environment action has focused on cleaning up waste and
pollution after it has been created, cleaner production aims to avoid the generation
of waste and pollution in the first place. Strategies for cleaner production
include:
• Reducing the use of raw materials and energy;
• Reducing the use of toxic raw materials;
• Reducing toxic waste output;
• Reducing environment impacts during the lifecycle of products and
services – from raw material extraction to manufacturing, production,
storage, distribution, consumption and recycling and/or final disposal.
In economic terms, cleaner production means reducing material and energy
use and related costs, auditing, adopting more efficient production processes,
lowering waste volumes and disposal costs, eliminating clean-up costs, fines and
charges, and producing higher quality goods and services.
Cleaner production is the continuous application of integrated preventive strategies
applied to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks
to humans and the environment.
(UNEP DTIE 1996)
5.2 Eco-Efficiency
Eco-efficiency is about doing more with less – using the same or a lesser amount of
materials and energy to deliver a higher quality or quantity of goods and services.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) provides the
following definition:
Eco-efficiency is reached by the delivery of competitively priced goods and
services that satisfy human needs and bring quality to life, which progressively
reduces ecological impacts and resource intensity throughout the life cycle, to
a level that is at least in line with the earth’s carrying capacity.
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5.3 Industrial Ecology (Systems Thinking)
Industrial ecology refers to business operations that mimic the natural ecosystem,
where an industrial system is managed like an ecosystem - a continuous and
sequential flow of materials, energy and information.
The two major concepts of industrial ecology are sealing the material cycle and
dematerialisation:
• Sealing the material cycle means carrying out production in closedcircuits,
in the same way as an ecosystem. For example, through