207
The OECD, UNEP and the World Bank are now undertaking a programme of
studies, workshops and publications to improve the quality of public procurement
to boost national and regional economic progress. The sustainability dimension is
included in this work.
Some states regulate ostensibly for life cycle objectives, as for example in
California.
California’s Green Chemistry Initiative 2012 (GCI) is a new law to regulate
toxic chemicals in consumer products. The law incorporates a life cycle
“alternatives analysis” to evaluate alternatives during their manufacture, in
use and at disposal. Based on the evaluation, the state may restrict or ban the
use of chemicals of concern.
Materials fl ow studies are now of increasing interest to public authorities, as is
the use of footprint studies to better understand the regional sustainability dynamics. The OECD Environment strategy for the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst century
(OECD 2001 ) outlined the need for governments to look for integrated management
solutions that link resource use and prevention of waste into a coherent policy
approach, such as the one embodied in the sustainable materials management
(SMM) paradigm. The recent OECD report on SMM (OECD 2012 ) is directly
aimed at clarifying the policy measures that improve the effi ciency of materials
fl ows at national and regional levels. But while useful in identifying national case
studies, the policy recommendations sometimes seem rather remote from on the
ground life cycle considerations.
The recent series of summer schools held by the University of Salento was
directly aimed at exploring the application of life cycle approaches to sustainable
regional development ( www.lcss.unisalento.it/ ). This initiative has now been
expanded into a publications project to illustrate how LCM techniques can be
applied to regional planning, resource management, infrastructure, industrial
development and environment protection.
But there is also the question of how LCA and LCM techniques can be further
adapted to serve the special needs of these institutions and the administrators that
would use these techniques.
7 Link with Other Sustainability Management Initiatives
LCM has to be seen also in the context of other resource management concepts as
most of these have their roots in some form of life cycle thinking, and many of them
advocate a particular management approach. Concepts of circular economy, industrial ecology, 3R, cradle to grave, etc. have been around for many years (Fig. 14.4 ).
14 Life Cycle Management Responsibilities and Procedures in the Value Chain
The OECD, UNEP and the World Bank are now undertaking a programme of
studies, workshops and publications to improve the quality of public procurement
to boost national and regional economic progress. The sustainability dimension is
included in this work.
Some states regulate ostensibly for life cycle objectives, as for example in
California.
California’s Green Chemistry Initiative 2012 (GCI) is a new law to regulate
toxic chemicals in consumer products. The law incorporates a life cycle
“alternatives analysis” to evaluate alternatives during their manufacture, in
use and at disposal. Based on the evaluation, the state may restrict or ban the
use of chemicals of concern.
Materials fl ow studies are now of increasing interest to public authorities, as is
the use of footprint studies to better understand the regional sustainability dynamics. The OECD Environment strategy for the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst century
(OECD 2001 ) outlined the need for governments to look for integrated management
solutions that link resource use and prevention of waste into a coherent policy
approach, such as the one embodied in the sustainable materials management
(SMM) paradigm. The recent OECD report on SMM (OECD 2012 ) is directly
aimed at clarifying the policy measures that improve the effi ciency of materials
fl ows at national and regional levels. But while useful in identifying national case
studies, the policy recommendations sometimes seem rather remote from on the
ground life cycle considerations.
The recent series of summer schools held by the University of Salento was
directly aimed at exploring the application of life cycle approaches to sustainable
regional development ( www.lcss.unisalento.it/ ). This initiative has now been
expanded into a publications project to illustrate how LCM techniques can be
applied to regional planning, resource management, infrastructure, industrial
development and environment protection.
But there is also the question of how LCA and LCM techniques can be further
adapted to serve the special needs of these institutions and the administrators that
would use these techniques.
7 Link with Other Sustainability Management Initiatives
LCM has to be seen also in the context of other resource management concepts as
most of these have their roots in some form of life cycle thinking, and many of them
advocate a particular management approach. Concepts of circular economy, industrial ecology, 3R, cradle to grave, etc. have been around for many years (Fig. 14.4 ).
14 Life Cycle Management Responsibilities and Procedures in the Value Chain