Joseph Fiksel
Executive Director, Center for Resilience
The Ohio State University
Sustainability Advisor, Office of Research & Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The content of this presentation reflects the views of the author and does not represent the policies or position of the U.S. EPA.
“If everyone alive
today consumed
natural resources
and emitted carbon
dioxide at the same
rate as the average
American, European,
or Australian then we
would need at least
another three earths.”
- WWF International
“a business approach that creates longterm shareholder value by embracing
opportunities and managing risks that
derive from economic, environmental
and social developments.”
- Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
• World’s largest industrial green roof—Rouge plant
• First American hybrid vehicle—2005 Ford Escape
• Many recent models, e.g., Mustang, use soy foam for
seat cushions, as well as other renewable materials
HP’s TouchSmart all-in-one
touch-screen PC saves up to
86 kWh per year energy
savings through power
management, ships in
100 percent recyclable
packaging, and uses
55% less metal and
37% less plastic than
standard PCs and monitors.
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•
60% recycled glass cullet, virtually zero waste
No visible plume, minimal environmental permits
High productivity, low ecological footprint
Atticat® insulation is Cradle to Cradle Certified
Self-directed work environment – no supervisors
Mount Vernon, Ohio
ULF Insulation Plant
• EcoConcept® water-based, primerless auto paint
• About 25% reduction in energy and emission footprint
• Saves $60 million capital, up to $12 million/yr operating
• Adopted by Volkswagen facilities in Mexico and Spain
• Old engines restored to warrantied like-new condition
• Global business is fast-growing, profitable, resilient
• 4,000 employees at 17 dedicated facilities in 8 nations
Life Cycle of an Aluminum Can
Can
recycling
Consumer
Market
Beverage
Can Use
Sorting
Can
Production
Shredding
Metal
Fabrication
Remelting
Ingot
Casting
Primary
Smelting
Recycled cans require 5% of
the process energy used for
virgin ore
Alumina
Refining
Bauxite
Mining
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•
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Globalization and complexity
Accelerating technological change
Mounting stakeholder expectations
Threatened natural resources
Economic volatility
Global warming
Terrorism
Poverty
Disease
• Classical management approach
• Orderly operations punctuated by predictable
disruptions
• Continuous improvement
• Strategic planning
• Emerging systems approach
• Tightly coupled dynamic systems with
unpredictable discontinuities
• Continuous change
• Adaptive management
An interdisciplinary research center dedicated
to improving the continuity, adaptability and
long-term sustainability of industrial
enterprises and their environments.
Joseph Fiksel,
Executive Director
Dept. of Integrated
Systems Engineering
Bhavik Bakshi,
Research Director
Dept. of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering
Collaborators: American Electric Power, Dow Chemical,
Owens Corning, Limited Brands, Nationwide, Procter & Gamble, Veolia,
U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, City of Columbus,
Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, U.S. EPA
Sustainability is the capacity for:
• human health and well being
• economic vitality and prosperity
• environmental resource abundance
Resilience is the capacity to:
• overcome unexpected problems
• adapt to change (e.g., sea level rise)
• prepare for and survive catastrophes
Economy
(economic capital)
economic value
is created for society
Society
(human & social capital)
talent is utilized in industry
ecological goods
and services are
utilized in industry
natural resources
may be depleted
some waste
is recovered
and recycled
emissions may
harm humans
waste and emissions may
degrade the environment
Environment (natural capital)
ecosystem services
provide amenities for
communities
Economy
Society
Human
Resources
People
Infrastructures
Governments
Economic value
Enterprises
Communities
Wastes
Shared
Value
Biotechnology
& Biomimicry
Natural
Resources
Ecosystem
Services
Health &
Well-being
Nourishment
& Comfort
Harmony &
Symbiosis
Ecosystem
Services
Environment
Ecosystems
Organisms
Minerals
Climate
Vulnerabilities
• Turbulence
• Deliberate threats
• External pressures
Capabilities
• Anticipation
• Flexibility
• Recovery
• Security
• Resource limits
• Efficiency
• Connectivity
• Visibility
• Sensitivity
Pettit, Fiksel & Croxton,
Journal of Business Logistics, 2010
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• etc…
More sustainable
(resource productivity)
Nuclear energy
Rain harvesting
Lean production
Less
resilient
Corn ethanol
Bottled water
Business as usual
Smart grid
Grey water use
Distributed assets
Diesel backup
Desalination
Redundancy
More
resilient
(adaptive
capacity)
Less sustainable
Source: J. Fiksel, I. Goodman, A. Hecht, “Navigating Toward a Sustainable Future,” Solutions, Jan. 2014
21
Challenge
Response
Unintended environmental,
health, or safety impacts
over the product life cycle
Design for
Environment
Threat of resource scarcity
and diminished opportunity
for future generations
Design for
Sustainability
Complexity and turbulent
change in global economic,
social, & ecological systems
Design for
Resilience
(1990’s)
(2000’s)
Reference Book
Joseph Fiksel
Design for Environment
SecondEdition
A Guide to Sustainable
Product Development
(McGraw-Hill 2009, 2011)
www.resilience.osu.edu