Bereikbaar en duurzaam Limburg
Coalitieakkoord 2007- 2011
Governance for Sustainable Development
‘Cradle to Cradle’ from concept to practice
dr. Paul Levels
Program manager SD/C2C
Department of Environment and Sustainable Development
Province of Limburg
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2,209 km2
1,112,000 Inhabitants.
Aging population: > 50% > 45 years
Densely populated (500 inhabitants/km2)
Industrialized
Varied and unique landscapes
 European province:
* Joint borders with Germany (212 km) and Belgium (139 km)
With Netherlands only 113 km
* Maastricht Treaty (1992): created European Union
and led to creation of €
Content
 Sustainable development: why and what
 Cradle to Cradle concept
 Limburg Cradle to Cradle Guiding Principles
 Sustainable development in Limburg
 Policy for SD/C2C
 Spearheads and examples
 Questions & Discussion
Sustainable Development (SD)
 Why SD?
 Years 1960-1990: environmental pollution, poverty.
  Result: degradation of human health and ecosystems
 Nowadays: scarcity of natural resources (fossil energy, commodities),
dependence on politically unstable regions,
climate change,
decreasing biodiversity,
spatial pressure,
unequal distribution of prosperity.
  Result: slowing of socio-economic development
Sustainable Development
Call for sustainable development 
 Brundtland, 1987
 Dutch National Environmental Policy Plans (since 1989), Prov. policy frameworks
Here and now
Later
Elsewhere
 SD = multidisciplinary, coherence, balance, scales of space and time, innovation
 SD = no blueprint, but process, continuous development
Province Limburg and Sustainable Development
Coalition Agreement 2007-2011 ‘ Investing and Connecting’ :
- balance between P-P-P
- sustainability no separate policy field, but SD in all programs (‘ connector’)
- major decisions should be assessed on sustainability
 Landmark Developments should have high ambition for SD
 SD should be measurable
- apply the Cradle to Cradle concept
Cradle to Cradle (McDonough & Braungart)
3 Principles:
 Waste equals food:
- all used materials are clean (healthy, compostable)
- or reusable (upcycle in same or better products)
 cycles (closed systems):
 Use current solar income
 Celebrate diversity
Ecological cycle
Technological cycle
Cradle to Cradle
Result:
 Do not “less bad” (SD), but “do well” right from the start (C2C)
 C2C: eco-effective
 SD: eco-efficient
 Limburg policy: do both!
Cradle to Cradle
 C2C involves linking equity, ecology and economy
 Emphasis on creating eco-effective solutions
 Ambitious approach to sustainable development
 Focus on materials - and product design
 Advancing to building design:
follow the design principles found in natural ecosystems
Cradle to Cradle and materials / products
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Component materials must be safe for humans and ecosystems
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It must be possible to reuse (waste) materials in the biosphere
(ecological recycling) or the techno-sphere (technological recycling)
without any loss of quality
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The product must be easy to disassemble
so that the materials can begin their
next life cycle
Opportunities of Cradle to Cradle
 Challenging and inspiring because of high ambition
 Motor for innovation and new opportunities
 Welcomed by the business community
 Welcomed by other stakeholders (governments, NGOs,
designers, developers)
 C2C requires ‘forward thinking’ – system analysis – transition
processes
 C2C: trend break  SD as engine for economic growth
How to implement Cradle to Cradle?
We need:
 Frontrunners, innovators
 Vision, ambition, boldness
 Radical innovation / transitions / “re-thinking”
 Development of knowledge
 Networking (open source, sharing knowledge and experiences)
 Pilot projects, actions, decisiveness
 Communication
Create / make use of the momentum
Limburg Cradle to Cradle Guiding Principles *
 Cradle to Cradle framework means:
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we are native to our place
waste is food
the sun is our income
our air, soil and water are healthy
we design enjoyment for all generations
we provide enjoyable mobility for all
 Our goal is a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world
with clean air, soil, water and power –
economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed
 Our mission is to use our Cradle to Cradle framework as an engine for innovation
* Taken over from the Floriade Venlo Principles, which have been developed by McDonough and Braungart in
cooperation with Floriade BV, Region of Venlo, Chamber of Commerce Limburg and Province of Limburg
Sustainable development / C2C in Limburg
AMBITION: Limburg wants to be the C2C-leader in Netherlands and Europe
Limburg Parliament (Provinciale Staten) adopted in 2009:
Policy Framework for Sustainable Development / Cradle to Cradle
FOCUS:
 Leaders / frontrunners with ambition and organizing power
 Major projects
 Target groups: governments, industry, developers, designers,
housing companies, educators, NGO’s (not directly on citizens/consumers)
Sustainable development / C2C in Limburg
ROLE PROVINCE:
 Sensitize, activate frontrunners
 Direct and connect parties
 Facilitate: design processes, vision/ambition, strategy
 Stimulate: provide financial support, instruments and
spread of knowledge and experiences
 Process management (via agreements with partners)
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Spearheads:
1: Sustainable decision making
2: Sustainable purchasing and corporate social responsibility
3: Development and promotion of knowledge about SD/C2C
4: Sustainable spatial development
5: Sustainable building
6: Sustainable producing
Inspired by our
C2C framework
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Sustainable purchasing, corporate social responsibility
 Facility management Government House
 In 2010: 50% sustainable purchasing (in 2015: 100%)
Set good example
Launching customer
* sust. purchasing criteria, set up by national government
(45 product groups)
* catering, coffee supply, park maintenance, car fleet, consumables
* yearly action programs
* round table sustainable purchasing
 Government House in 2011 Climate neutral
 Energy conservation in 3 Limburg museums
Satino C2C hygiene paper of Van Houtum
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Knowledge development and diffusion
 promote awareness with societal stakeholders
 dissiminate knowledge by communication and networks
* Target groups: students, developers, designers, building sector, industry
Examples:
* Projects for primary and high schools (subsidies)
* C2C masterclass Fontys Academy Venlo for SME
* C2C community Limburg (Chamber of Commerce)
* C2C exhibition in Centre Ceramique Maastricht
* C2C Lab Venlo (followed by C2C-master TU-Twente)
* Masterclass Sustainable Area Development (Geoplan)
* Interreg IVc project C2C-Network
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
4. Sustainable area development
 spatial development assignments inspired by C2C-principles
 area development projects, residential areas, industrial areas,
infrastructure (road) development
Difficulties:
* long term developments
* complex, multiple aspects, multiple stakeholders
* procedures, expensive
Approach:
* integrated and open design process
* layers and cycle approach
* time for inspiration and innovation
* connect goals to people (owners)
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Sustainable building and living
 stimulate innovative building aimed at quality
 design inspired by C2C principles
 round table Sustainable Building
Villa Flora
Innovatower
Helden
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Sustainable production
 stimulate and support frontrunners/leader who design
and produce sustainable inspired by C2C-principles
 disseminate C2C-product(ion) knowledge amongst businesses
* intermediaries (Chamber of Commerce, LIOF, Syntens..)
* round table C2C-inspired companies: Sakura manifesto
Jalema filing systems
Euroceramic sewerage pipes
Mosa Tiles
Policy Framework for
Sustainable Development / C2C
Sustainable production
Designers
Intermediaries
Round table C2C companies
 C2C certification:
 > Jalema BV
 > Knoops Eco Printing
> Moonen Packaging
 > Royal Mosa
 > Euroceramic
 > Van Houtum Papier
Conclusions
 C2C inspires and motivates because of high ambition
 C2C is a motor for innovation and new opportunities
 C2C is welcomed by the business community
 Other stakeholders (governments, NGOs, designers,
developers) follow
 C2C can provide trend break:
Sustainable Development as engine for economic growth
Thank you for your attention