Sustainability Metrics Measuring the Transition to a Renewable, Abundant, Just San Diego Region Noble Resources Group ™ “Sustainable Market Development”™

Sustainability MetricsMeasuring the Transition to a

Renewable, Abundant, Just San Diego Region

Noble Resources Group™ “Sustainable Market Development”™

Dan Noble

Noble Resources Group™“Sustainable Market Development”™ “We Build Healthy

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San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership (SDRSP)

http://sdrsp.wordpress.com/

MissionThe largest volunteer-based consortium of business, government, academic & community organizations leading & promoting practices that support a sustainable future for the San Diego region.

FocusPartnership is a collaborative, bi-national and inter-regional effort to reduce pollution, enact energy savings and improve the quality for current and future generations in the region.


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Topics

San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership (SDRSP)

SDRSP - Metrics Task Force Process, Steps, Examples Lesson’s Learned – 3P’s Revisited

Sustainability = Collaboration - People Sustainability = Renewability - Planet Sustainability = Abundance - Profit Sustainability = Integration - both horizontal & vertical,

internal and external

Barriers to Transformation Discussion


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Metrics Task Force

Sustainability Metric Levels (holonic)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holon_(philosophy))

Increasing depth and complexity: Product – Green Product Labeling Facility – Green Building + Resource Throughput Company – All Products & Services Industry/Market – Renewable/Non-renewable Community – What’s included?

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Matrix of Sustainability Metric Systems

Review of Systems & Examples Global Reporting Initiative - www.globalreporting.org Global Environmental Management Initiative – www.GEMI.org ICLIE (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives)

- www.iclei.org City of Santa Monica, CA, www.smgov.net/departments/ose City of Portland, OR, www.portlandonline.com/osd City of Whistler, BC, Canada, www.whistler2020.ca

View the “Matrix of Sustainability Metrics System”…. MatrixofSus.MetricSystems061408.xls

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Metrics ReviewNumber of Sustainability Metrics

Reviewed and Selected by the SDRSP-MTF

Metrics Elements 2008 4/2009 7/2009

10/2009

Metrics (reviewed) 197 65

Core Metrics (decided) aka

“Index”

30 16

Objectives 9 9 8

Vision Statements 6

{Show Metrics Worksheet} Weighing,Conceptual Modeling


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Metrics Task Force – “Next Steps”… from 2009!

1. Circulate Findings2. Metrics Accountability3. Policy Development4. Metrics Champions5. MTF Continuing Work6. Metrics Budget7. Metrics Use8. Scope refinement/determination

Others doing great work: Equinox Center - Regional Dashboard

www.equinoxcenter.org


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Lesson’s Learned – 3P’s Revisited

Sustainability = Collaboration – People

Sustainability = Renewability – Planet

Sustainability = Abundance – Profit

Sustainability = Integration – both Internal & External, and Horizontal & Vertical


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Sustainability = Collaboration

All about managing differences!Conflict Contrast Collaboration

Forcing Collaboration

Avoidance Accommodation

Compromise

SELF ASSERTIVE100

COMPASSIONATE1000

0

Collaboration


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Sustainability = Renewability

Linear to Circular Economy

Nested Cycles and Markets

Zero Waste … or darn near!


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Journey to Sustainability: Development of a Circular Economy

Linear Economy*Natural Resources &Resource Industries

•Air•Water•Land & Minerals•Energy•Biological

IndustrialProcesses, Distribution & Product Use

Waste & Pollution

From Eugene Odum, Ecology, 1963 and www.Ecocycle.org, 2008


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Commodity Price Increases

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Circular, Zero Waste, Economy*

Natural Resources &Resource Industries

•Air•Water•Land & Minerals•Energy•Biological

IndustrialProcesses, Distribution & Product Use

Waste & Pollution

Environmental Industry

Journey to Sustainability: Development of a Circular Economy

From Eugene Odum, Ecology, 1963 and www.Ecocycle.org, 2008


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Circular Economy: Biological & Technical Nutrients

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The Organics Value Cycle

Generate:•Landscape trimmings•Food/Ag waste•Biosolids•Manure

Use:•Landscape•Agriculture•Environmental•Bioenergy

Haul, Pre-process:

Process:•Compost•Chip and Grind•Anaerobic Digestion•Fertilizer•Energy (gas, electric)

Market:•Compost•Fertilizer•Energy

Gov. Agencies• EPA: air, water, solids• LEA, Planning, CDFA• CEC/PUC, etc., etc.Stakeholders• Env. Eng. & Tech.• Env. Activists

Communicate (Sell!)& Report

Communicate& Report

Communicate& Report

Communicate& Report

Communicate& Report


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Nested Resource Cycles

Tier 1: Residential, On-site/Facility - “Onsite Market”

Tier 2: Community, Municipality, Agency – Wholesale - Retail “Markets”

Tier 3: Between Communities – “Government to Wholesale Markets ”

Industry

ResidentialCommercial

No one niche is “right,” correct or “the best.” Sanitation (water & solids) agencies are typically involved in all at the same

time. Solids & Water Market Development Strategies and Tactics must work

synergistically to build resource value and system efficiency (esp. w/ energy!!). This is still a goal to which all our communities are actively working.


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Zero Waste Movement*

Zero Waste is emerging as a: paradigm shift, a new, comprehensive socio-technical system,

that addresses our resource use from product

design to disposal “Cradle to Cradle” -

http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm

* From www.EcoCycle.org


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Zero Waste Movement

There are four central concepts to the Zero Waste system:

1. Changing the Rules to support resource recovery;

2. Producer Responsibility to hold industry liable for creating less toxic and more efficient products;

3. Purchasing for Zero Waste to use our buying power as our voice for Zero Waste; and

4. Resource Recovery Infrastructure to build the processing and recovery systems to move us toward Zero Waste. Learn more about all these aspects and the Zero Waste System.


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Provide Incentives Before Ban or Mandate

Eliminate Waste by Designing Out of Products and Processes

Foster Sustainable and Green Businesses

Retailers Take Back Difficult to Recycle Materials

Resource Recovery Park

Producer Responsibility

Expand City Outreach & Technical Assistance and Lead by Example

Jobs from Design & Discards

© Copyright Eco-Cycle, 2004 with text modifications by permission.www.ecocycle.org/zerowaste/zwsystem

Empowered Consumer

Zero Waste System (Replace with Oakland version)


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Zero Waste, Resource Recovery Centers (EcoParks)

Seven key Zero Waste Facilities Needed:

1. Re-Use Facilities – e.g. like thrift stores (www.reusealliance.org)

2. The MRF – “Materials Recovery Facility” (sorting) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materials_recovery_facility

3. C&D Facilities – “Construction & Demolition” debris recycling4. Composting Facility – to recycle “dry” organics5. Aerobic & Anaerobic Digestion Facilities – to extract energy

and/or produce fertilizer products from “wet” organics6. The CHaRM – “Center for Hard to Recycle Materials7. Residue Facility – like the old “landfill” but VERY MUCH smaller

Can often be built at active or closed landfills!


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Urban Ore® To end the Age of Waste


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Resource Recovery Park, U.K.


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Know Your DiscardsMaterial % in Wastes Value ($/ton)

1. Reusables 6% $400

2. Putrescibles 26% $35

3. Paper 21% $100

4. Ceramics (C&D)

10% $15

5. Metals 9% $80

6. Polymers 9% $150

7. Soils 6% $15

8. Glass 4% $25

9. Textiles 3% $20

10. Plant Debris 3% $35

11. Wood 2% $15

12. Chemicals 1% $200


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Sustainability = Abundance

Well Being is about feeling the positive energy!

Happiness and Joy (Well-Being, Pure-Potential) is a choice (to Be, Allow, Receive), not based on conditions(!)

Financial Abundance (wealth, profit) is about “feeling wealthy first” … money, like entropy, is always expanding… money is not limited by physical matter or energy… it’s an exchange of value (good will) which has no limit(!)

Relationships (culture, society, people) are about non-separation… which is always already the case… we are all connected anyway … so receive your friends(!)

Resource Abundance (planet) is about living the circle, efficiently not necessarily accumulating stuff.


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Sustainability = Integration

Both horizontal & vertical,Internal (subjective) & External (objective)

Ways of viewing reality – perspectives

All “true” … but partial!

Life & Consciousness are evolving,

Development recapitulates evolution


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Barriers to Transformation

They’re in our mind (culture/consciousness) … AND imbedded in past investments (financial)!

Specialized (non-integrated) Professions E.g. civil, structural, electrical, chemical “engineers” vs. ecological engineers Air, water or solid specialists, vs. cradle-to-cradle integralists!

Resources Laws Based on Linear vs. Circular Economic Model

Profit-centric (economic) vs. Planet & People-centric view Trillions of Dollars of “Sunk Investments”

E.g. Old refineries, manufacturing practices, mines, etc., etc. People DO NOT want to “abandon” those investments!

Solutions Include - Building Economies of Scope vs. Economies of Scale

i.e. lot’s of little, distributed, integrated values, vs. a few, large, centralized, specialized values


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Reference Sites Global Reporting Initiative, www.globalreporting.org Global Environmental Management Initiative – www.GEMI.org ICLIE (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) -www.iclei.org International Society of Sustainability Professionals,

www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org Grass Roots Recycling Network, www.grrn.org Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, www.livingeconomies.org GreenSource Network www.greensourcenetwork.net San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership www.sdrsp.org US Green Chamber www.usgreenchamber.com Green Chamber of San Diego County www.greenchambersd.com City of Portland, Office of Sustainable Development,

http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm Sustainable Business.com www.sustainablebusiness.com Sustainable Industries, www.sustainableindustries.com CorporateResponsibility.net www.corporateresponsibility.net Environmental Business Journal, www.ebiusa.com Terry Tamminen, “Lives per Gallon: The True Cost of our Oil Addition”

www.terrytamminen.com Paul Hawken, “The Ecology of Commerce” www.paulhawken.com Natural Capital Institute, www.naturalcapital.org Ecocycle, Inc., www.ecocycle.org Ecological Engineering Group, www.ecological-engineering.com


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Questions?Comments?Discussion…

(619) [email protected]

Dan NobleNoble Resources Group™

“Sustainable Market Development”™

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Sustainability Metrics Measuring the Transition to a Renewable, Abundant, Just San Diego Region Noble Resources Group ™ “Sustainable Market Development”™