Abstract
Most interpretations of sustainable development recognise that there are constraints on long-term human activities imposed by material and energy availability and by the capacity of the planet to accommodate wastes and emissions; inter- and intra-generational equity within these constraints is then an ethical principle underlying sustainability. This leads to identifying three dimensions of sustainable development: techno-economic, ecological and social. This paper reviews the development of indicators to reflect these three dimensions, applicable to industrial sectors, companies and broad groups of products or services. Indicators of environmental and economic performance are relatively well established. They can be combined to indicate the sustainability of products, services and supply chains. Indicators of social performance are more problematic, particularly indicators to describe the social value of products and services. Cases from the process, petroleum and petrochemicals, electronics and fast moving consumer goods sectors are reviewed, showing that social indicators must be developed through public participation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Variants on the simple VA have been proposed allowing, for example, for capital depreciation, but VA remains the most common metric for economic performance; see Azapagic and Perdan (2000).
It may be noted that the purchase, the funeral expenses and other resultant transactions would represent positive contributions to GDP—a caution against using conventional short-term economic indicators.
However, it may be noted that Banner (1999) has argued that the distinction between anthropocentric and ecocentric environmental concerns is false.
Washing clothes by hand may require less energy input, but avoiding this chore arguably satisfies needs such as Max-Neef's "idleness". Washing in unconfined conditions such as streams is arguably undesirable on environmental grounds.
References
Azapagic A, Perdan S (2000) Indicators of sustainable development for industry: a general framework. Trans Inst Chem Eng 73B:243–261
Banner M (1999) Why and how (not) to value the environment. In: Christian ethics and contemporary moral problems. Cambridge University Press, London, Chapter 5
Behmanesh N, Roque JA, Allen D (1993) An analysis of normalized measures of pollution prevention. Pollut Prev Rev, Spring:161–166
Biswas G, Clift R, Davis G, Ehrenfeld J, Förster R, Jolliet O, Knoepfel I, Luterbacher U, Russell D, Hunkeler D (1998) Ecometrics:identification, categorisation, and life cycle validation. Int J LCA 3:184–190
Clarke L, Clift R, Wehrmeyer W, King H, McKeown P (2002) Addressing employees' concerns to facilitate environmentally conscious decision making innovation. In: 10th International Conference of the Greening of Industry Network, Göteborg, June
Clayton AHJ, Radcliffe NJ (1996) Sustainability—a systems approach. Earthscan, London
Clift R (1998) Engineering for the environment: the new model engineer and her role. Trans Inst Chem Eng 76B:151–160
Clift R (2000) Contribution to forum on sustainability. Clean Prod Process 2:67
Clift R (2001) Clean technology and industrial ecology. In: Harrison RM (ed) Pollution: causes, effects and control, 4th edn. Royal Society of Chemistry, London, Chapter 16 (pp 411–444)
Clift R, Wright L (2000) Relationships between environmental impacts and added value along the supply chain. Technol Forecast Soc Change 65:281–295
Cunningham B, Wehrmeyer W, Clift R, Brewer L (2002) Integrating social concerns into the decision-making process associated with the petroleum industry. In: 10th International Conference of the Greening of Industry Network, Göteborg, June
DETR (1999a) A better quality of life. UK Department of Envronment, Transport and Rural Affairs, The Stationery Office, London
DETR (1999b) Monitoring progress: indicators for the strategy for sustainable development in the United Kingdom. UK Department of Envronment, Transport and Rural Affairs, The Stationery Office, London
ECTEL (1997) End-of-life management of cellular phones: an industry perspective and response. ECTEL Cellular Phones Takeback Working Group, London
IChemE (2002) The sustainability metrics—sustainable development progress metrics recommended for use in the process industries. Institution of Chemical Engineers, Rugby
Jackson T (1996) Material concerns—pollution, profit and quality of life. Routledge, London
Jackson T, Clift R (1998) Where's the profit in industrial ecology? J Ind Ecol 2:3–5
Lehni M (1999) Measuring eco-efficiency with cross-comparable indicators. WBCSD, Geneva
Maslow A (1954) Motivation and personality. Harper and Row, New York
Max-Neef M, Elizade A, Hopenhayn M (1991) Human scale development—conception, application and further reflections. Apex Press, New York
McLaren J, Parkinson SD, Jackson T (2000) Modelling material cascades—frameworks for the environmental assessment of recycling systems. Resour Conserv Recycling 31:83–104
OECD (2000) Framework for integrating socio-economic analysis in chemical risk management decision-making. Report ENV/JM/MONO (2000)5. Organisation for Economic and Cultural Development, Paris
OECD (2002) Technical guidance document on the use of socio-economic analysis in chemical risk management decision-making. Report ENV/JM/MONO (2002)10. Organisation for Economic and Cultural Development, Paris
Oxley Green AS, Wright L, Burningham K, Clift R (2002) Assessing the environmental views and concerns of Nokia employees as part of stakeholder participation. In: 10th International Conference of the Greening of Industry Network, Göteborg, June
Ransome T, Clift R (2002) The supply, use and waste management of domestic clothes washing. In: Wrisberg N, Udo de Haes HA (eds) Analytical tools for environmental design and management in a systems perspective. Kluwer, Dordrecht, Appendix C (pp 205–230)
RCEP (1998) Setting environmental standards. 21st Report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. The Stationery Office, London
RCEP (2000) Energy: the changing climate. 22nd report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. The Stationery Office, London
RCEP (2003) Chemicals in products. 24th Report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. The Stationery Office, London
Reid D (1995) Sustainable development—an introductory guide. Earthscan, London
Saling P (2002) Realising more sustainable products and processes in different fields of business by application of the eco-efficiency analysis. In: NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Maribor. Clean technol Environ Policy, in press
Taylor AP, Postlethwaite D (1996) Overall business impact assessment (OB1A). In: 4th LCA Case Studies Symposium. SETAC-Europe, Brussels, pp 181–187
WCED (1987) World Commission on Environment and Development: our common future. Report of the Brundtland Commission. Oxford University Press, London
Wilkinson R (2000) Mind the gap—hierarchies, health and human evolution. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London
Wright M, Allen D, Clift R, Sas H (1997) Measuring corporate environmental performance: the ICI environmental burden system. J Ind Ecol 1:117–127
Zakotnik I, Radej B (2002) Environment as a factor of national competitiveness in manufacturing. In: NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Maribor. Clean technol Environ Policy, in press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clift, R. Metrics for supply chain sustainability. Clean Techn Environ Policy 5, 240–247 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-003-0220-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-003-0220-0