Ecologically sustainable development involves meeting human needs while maintaining or enhancing natural ecosystems. It requires using resources efficiently and producing less waste. Tools to achieve ESD include life cycle analysis, environmental impact assessments, and environmental management systems. An EMS establishes procedures to manage environmental impacts and continually improve performance. ISO 14001 provides standards for EMS certification. Risk assessment, the precautionary principle, and regulatory frameworks also support ecologically sustainable development.

1. Unit 4: Area of Study 2:
Ecologically Sustainable
Development
Terms and Definitions

2. Ecological sustainable development –
what does it mean?
• Ecological ....
• Sustainable ....
• Development ....

3. Ecologically Sustainable Development
Using, conserving and enhancing the
community’s resources so that ecological
processes, on which life depends, are
maintained, and the quality of life for both
present and future generations is maintained.
This requires that human needs are satisfied,
whilst using fewer resources and producing
less waste.

4. Tools for ESD
Risk assessment – Hazard Identification and
assessment then risk estimation
Risk management
Life cycle analysis
Precautionary principle
Environmental impact assessment
Environmental management systems
Waste minimization

5. Life Cycle Analysis
Advantages Disadvantages
• Identifies most cost effective • A subjective process –
and efficient options for a relative importance of
product or service
different kinds of
• Offers a ‘greener’ product to
customers wastes/emissions must be
• May avoid some wastes, and decided by someone
therefore the costs of treating • No accepted methodology
the wastes
• Confidentiality issues may
• May use less energy, and
fewer resources, therefore restrict data availability
reducing costs • Costly, complex and time
• Reduces greenhouse consuming
emissions

6. Environmental Management Systems
An Environmental Management System (EMS):
• Serves as a tool to improve environmental performance
• Provides a systematic way of managing an organization’s
environmental affairs
• Is the aspect of the organization’s overall management
structure that addresses immediate and long-term impacts
of its products, services and processes on the environment
• Gives order and consistency for organizations to address
environmental concerns through the allocation of
resources, assignment of responsibility and ongoing
evaluation of practices, procedures and processes
• Focuses on continual improvement of the system

7. Environmental Management System

8. The EMS process
Audit/review current
performance
Devise a plan or
Monitor the policy to bring
new outcomes about improvement
in environmental
outcomes
Implement the
policy or plan
This is a process of continual improvement, rather that one of
complying with rules or regulations.

9. Goals of EMS:
• Less extraction of non-renewable resources
• Decreased energy use
• Decreased water use
• Greater durability of products
• Reduced or zero emissions to the environment
• Less waste
• Think in terms of energy, water & waste

11. Ecologically Sustainable Development
(ESD)
• The aim of EMS is to increase the sustainability of
projects and developments and move towards
ecologically sustainable societies.
• In December 2002, the United Nations General
Assembly proclaimed the years from 2005 to
2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (DESD). Governments from around
the world have been invited to strengthen their
contribution to sustainability through a focus on
education.

12. ISO 14000 and 14001
• ISO stands for the International Organisations for Standardization,
located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• ISO 14000 refers to a family of voluntary standards and guidance
documents to help organizations address environmental issues.
Included in the family are standards for EMS, environmental and
EMS auditing, environmental labelling, performance evaluation and
life-cycle assessment.
• In September 1996, the International Organization for
Standardization published the first edition of ISO 14001, the EMS
standard. This is an international voluntary standard describing
specific requirements for an EMS. ISO 14001 is a specification
standard to which an organization may receive certification or
registration. ISO 14001 is considered the foundation document of
the entire series. A second edition of ISO 14001 was published in
2004, updating the standard.
• ISO14001 is the dominant environmental management system in
the world.

15. Some tools for Environmental
Management - EIA
• Environmental Impact Assessment: A process
whereby the impact on the environment of a
project or development is assessed in terms of
biodiversity, geology, water, energy, waste,
historical and indigenous significance (if
relevant) and social and economic changes.

16. Some tools for Environmental
Management – EES or EIS
• Environmental Effects Statement (EES) or
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):
The report produced as a result of an
environmental impact statement that
describes the effects/impacts of the
project/development. This is mandated by
planning regulators and available to
stakeholders for consultation.

17. Some tools for Environmental
Management
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) : Also called “cradle to grave
analysis”, it is a technique to assess environmental impacts
associated with all the stages of a product's life from-
cradle-to-grave (i.e., from raw material extraction through
materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair
and maintenance, and disposal or recycling).
• LCA’s can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental
concerns by:
• Compiling an inventory of relevant energy and material
inputs and environmental releases;
• Evaluating the potential impacts associated with identified
inputs and releases;
• Interpreting the results to help you make a more informed
decision.

18. Some tools for Environmental
Management - ERA
Environmental (or Ecological) Risk Assessment is the process of estimating
the effects of human actions on a natural resource. It is comprised of the
following steps:
• Planning the assessment by setting the management goals, objectives and
resources available.
• Formulating the problem to determine the scope of the assessment.
• Identifying the ecological values and the likely hazards to these values.
• Analysing the risks to ecological values using qualitative, semi-qualitative
or quantitative risk assessment methods.
• Characterising and ranking the risks, including uncertainties and
assumptions, to make them accessible to decision makers and
stakeholders.
• Developing a risk management plan to minimise the risks.
• Implementing the risk management plan.
• Monitoring the system to provide information on the effectiveness of the
plan.

20. Precautionary Principle
• The precautionary principle states that if an
action or policy has a suspected risk of causing
harm to the public or to the environment, in
the absence of scientific consensus, that the
action or policy is harmful, the burden of
proof that it is not harmful falls on those
taking the action.

21. Some examples of EMS:

22. Some Examples of EMS:
Kimberly-Clark Australia was one of the first Australian
companies to adopt a corporate environmental policy and
develop its Environmental Management System (EMS) using
ISO 14001. The company aims to:
• continually improve its environmental performance, prevent
pollution and responsibly minimise and control its wastes
• plan, construct and operate all operating locations to comply
with applicable regulations, to meet ISO 14001 or its
equivalent and to act with due diligence for environmental
protection and improvement
• source its paper-products fibre from either:
– recycled fibre recovered from waste paper or
– virgin fibre which is made from wood out of forests which have
had their operations and management certified to one of the
listed forest management systems1. We shall strive for 100%
compliance while accepting 70% as a minimum
• help conserve resources by the design and production of
products to reduce the use of raw materials, packaging and
energy in manufacture, and by recycling production wastes.

23. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA.

24. Regulatory frameworks
• Legislation that provides businesses and other
organizations with legal guidelines for
environmental protection.
• SEPPS (State Environmental Protection Policies)
are an example of regulatory frameworks
administered by the EPA
• Water authorities, DSE and the Departments of
Climate Change and Planning may also have
regulatory frameworks relevant to environmental
issues.

25. REFERENCES:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_man
agement_system
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_cycle_assessme
nt
• http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/g
overnment/ems/index.html
• http://www.environment.gov.au/ssd/research/ec
ol-risk.html
• “Environmental Risk Assessment – An Australian
Perspective”
http://www.environment.gov.au/ssd/publications
/ssr/102.html