The Sustainability Learning Forum

Green Economy – the Next Oxymoron?

Prof. Ulrich Brand, Vienna University

The concept of a green economy has become the new buzz word in sustainability discourses, particularly in light of the Rio+20 Conference. Because of the current economic crisis and the perception that sustainability politics cannot be implemented efficiently, politicians have set their hopes on greening the economy. However, there are major problems with the aims and strategies linked to this concept. Specifically, if political, economical, and cultural constraints are not consid ered, green economy strategies will not be successful in their goals to end environmental degradation and reducing poverty. more[...] login_required

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A Green Building Inspired by the Future

Editorial Team

The recent Sonae Maia Business Center, located at Sonae's Business Park in Maia (Portugal), is the first building on the Iberian Peninsula to be awarded Leed Gold Certification. Built with the most environmental efficiency advanced technologies existing in the world, this eco-friendly building, with an area of 16.000 m2, allows a considerable reduction of environmental impacts, giving their occupants an indoor environment of excellence, quality and comfort. more[...] login_required

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A Green Building Inspired by the Future

Sonae
Sonae

The recent Sonae Maia Business Center, located at Sonae's Business Park in Maia (Portugal), is the first building on the Iberian Peninsula to be awarded Leed Gold Certification. Built with the most environmental efficiency advanced technologies existing in the world, this eco-friendly building, with an area of 16.000 m2, allows a considerable reduction of environmental impacts, giving their occupants an indoor environment of excellence, quality and comfort. more[...]

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The Future of Cities

Wolfram Haller, Siemens
Siemens

Today more than half the world’s population lives in cities, which emit 80 percent of all greenhouse gases and use 75 percent of energy – figures rising. It is thus with the cities that we must start if we want to manage population growth, increasing energy demand and climate change. Many solutions are already available, including environmentally compatible energy supply, highly efficient building, transportation and water supply systems and affordable financial models. These improve climate protection, increase the security of supply, enhance the quality of life and reduce costs. For world wide success, however, cooperation on a global basis is needed, for example in United Nations programs. more[...] login_required

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The Future of Cities

Wolfram Haller, Siemens

Today more than half the world’s population lives in cities, which emit 80 percent of all greenhouse gases and use 75 percent of energy – figures rising. It is thus with the cities that we must start if we want to manage population growth, increasing energy demand and climate change. Many solutions are already available, including environmentally compatible energy supply, highly efficient building, transportation and water supply systems and affordable financial models. These improve climate protection, increase the security of supply, enhance the quality of life and reduce costs. For world wide success, however, cooperation on a global basis is needed, for example in United Nations programs. more[...]

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Sustainability 2.0 – Looking Beyond the Factory Gates

Volker Hasenberg, PE INTERNATIONAL
Celine Furnanz, PE INTERNATIONAL
Thinkstep

PE INTERNATIONAL is a leading sustainability consulting service and software solution provider. PE embraces sustainability as a strategic issue that will influence future competiveness of business and will enable a business transformation in long-term. PE supported for example PUMA in developping a new sustainable packaging with the help of a Life Cycle Analysis. It also helped NiroSan Multifit to build an eco-efficient production facility. more[...] login_required

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Re-Greening Popocatépetl

Editorial Team

Volkswagen plants 300,000 trees around the source region of the Rio Atoyac, thereby helping to secure water supplies in the region. more[...] login_required

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Re-Greening Popocatépetl

Hans-Günther Dymek, Volkswagen
Michael Scholing-Darby, Volkswagen

Volkswagen plants 300,000 trees around the source region of the Rio Atoyac, thereby helping to secure water supplies in the region. more[...]

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Systematic and Holistic Program for a Balanced Industrial Ecology

M Bhaskar, TÜV Rheinland Group
Dagny Buehler-Thierfelder, TÜV Rheinland Holding
TÜV Rheinland Holding

In Karnataka, one of the fastest-growing states of India, officials have become aware of the increasing pollution and exploitation of natural resources by the major industries and the growing population. Indian energy production has risen over 20 percent since 2000; during the same period, CO2 emissions went up by nearly 30 percent. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has identified 118 companies – the majority small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – from all the main industries that are using resources inefficiently and are polluting the environment. More than half of the companies are located in the district of Bangalore and are a constant threat to the ecological balance of the region. more[...] login_required

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Systematic and Holistic Program for a Balanced Industrial Ecology

M Bhaskar, TÜV Rheinland Group
Dagny Buehler-Thierfelder, TÜV Rheinland Holding

In Karnataka, one of the fastest-growing states of India, officials have become aware of the increasing pollution and exploitation of natural resources by the major industries and the growing population. Indian energy production has risen over 20 percent since 2000; during the same period, CO2 emissions went up by nearly 30 percent. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has identified 118 companies – the majority small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – from all the main industries that are using resources inefficiently and are polluting the environment. More than half of the companies are located in the district of Bangalore and are a constant threat to the ecological balance of the region. more[...]

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The TMS Group’s Green Campaign

Jeffrey Revels, TMS Group
TMS Group

In 2009 The TMS Group launched an ambitious program entitled the TMS Green Campaign, which is designed to create awareness of significant environmental and energy conservation issues by promoting the “glocal” concept of “think globally and act locally.” Furthermore, the objective is to transform the awareness into actions and encourage employee-driven conservation practices within their workplaces, homes, and at the grassroots level in their communities. more[...]

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Climate Protection throughout different Process Chains

Editorial Team

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In fiscal year 2009, it achieved sales of €11.211 billion. The Group comprises two main divisions: Gases and Engineering. The extensive portfolio of the Gases Division ranges from the production of industrial gases to the delivery of processes, plants, equipment, and services for the widest scope of gas applications. We supply many different industries in almost 100 countries across the globe. Our Engineering Division builds plants to process and convert raw materials, also applying its wealth of process know-how to advance the field of renewable energies. more[...] login_required

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The Linde Group - Climate Protection throughout different Process Chains

Dietlind Freiberg, McDonalds Germany
The Linde Group

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In fiscal year 2009, it achieved sales of €11.211 billion. The Group comprises two main divisions: Gases and Engineering. The extensive portfolio of the Gases Division ranges from the production of industrial gases to the delivery of processes, plants, equipment, and services for the widest scope of gas applications. We supply many different industries in almost 100 countries across the globe. Our Engineering Division builds plants to process and convert raw materials, also applying its wealth of process know-how to advance the field of renewable energies. more[...]

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Greening of Saline and Alkaline Sediments

Editorial Team

Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL), which was established in 1939, today is the second largest producer of soda ash in the world with manufacturing facilities across four continents. TCL’s journey as a synthetic soda ash manufacturer began in Mithapur, on the coast of Gujarat, on India’s west coast, and for many years Mithapur represented the sum total of TCL’s soda ash manufacturing. Over time TCL’s Mithapur production volume has grown from 80 tons per day in 1944 to its current level of 2,400 tons per day. The volumes of wastes generated from its operations have grown as well. Solid waste disposal was one of TCL’s biggest concerns. Before setting up the cement manufacturing plant that converts these effluent solids into cement in 1993, all the solid waste generated was stored in a corner of the factory site called Malara. more[...]

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“We’re not just chasing windmills.”

Editorial Team

SKF technical development focuses not only on wind turbines as tomorrow’s clean energy source, but also on helping the traditional power generation industries reduce their impacts on the environment. It’s a balanced approach enabling new low-carbon technologies to develop while providing energy-saving processes, parts, and services to help today’s plants and equipment become more efficient. An interview with SKF CEO, Tom Johnstone. more[...] login_required

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