10,032 research outputs found

    Eco‐Holonic 4.0 Circular Business Model to  Conceptualize Sustainable Value Chain Towards  Digital Transition 

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    The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a circular business model based on an Eco-Holonic Architecture, through the integration of circular economy and holonic principles. A conceptual model is developed to manage the complexity of integrating circular economy principles, digital transformation, and tools and frameworks for sustainability into business models. The proposed architecture is multilevel and multiscale in order to achieve the instantiation of the sustainable value chain in any territory. The architecture promotes the incorporation of circular economy and holonic principles into new circular business models. This integrated perspective of business model can support the design and upgrade of the manufacturing companies in their respective industrial sectors. The conceptual model proposed is based on activity theory that considers the interactions between technical and social systems and allows the mitigation of the metabolic rift that exists between natural and social metabolism. This study contributes to the existing literature on circular economy, circular business models and activity theory by considering holonic paradigm concerns, which have not been explored yet. This research also offers a unique holonic architecture of circular business model by considering different levels, relationships, dynamism and contextualization (territory) aspects

    Standardization Framework for Sustainability from Circular Economy 4.0

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    The circular economy (CE) is widely known as a way to implement and achieve sustainability, mainly due to its contribution towards the separation of biological and technical nutrients under cyclic industrial metabolism. The incorporation of the principles of the CE in the links of the value chain of the various sectors of the economy strives to ensure circularity, safety, and efficiency. The framework proposed is aligned with the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development regarding the orientation towards the mitigation and regeneration of the metabolic rift by considering a double perspective. Firstly, it strives to conceptualize the CE as a paradigm of sustainability. Its principles are established, and its techniques and tools are organized into two frameworks oriented towards causes (cradle to cradle) and effects (life cycle assessment), and these are structured under the three pillars of sustainability, for their projection within the proposed framework. Secondly, a framework is established to facilitate the implementation of the CE with the use of standards, which constitute the requirements, tools, and indicators to control each life cycle phase, and of key enabling technologies (KETs) that add circular value 4.0 to the socio-ecological transition

    Urban metabolism : a review of recent literature on the subject

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    Urban areas are the primary habitat for a majority of the global population. The development of cities not only entails a fundamental change in human settlement patterns but also a dramatic transformation of the physical environment. Thus, urban areas and their development are at the centre of all discussions on sustainability and/or sustainable development. This review essay introduces the notion of Urban Metabolism (UM), a term that provides a conceptual framework to study how a city functions, and hence, a way to address the sustainability issue of a city. Due to the significance and scope of the subject, the notion of UM is interpreted and thus approached differently across diverse disciplines from both the natural and social science fields. In order to comprehend the commonalities and controversies between them, the present review also briefly introduces the historical roots of the term. This review reveals the increasing significance of a rich and rapidly evolving field of research on the metabolism of urban areas.Les àrees urbanes són el principal hàbitat de la majoria de la població mundial. El desenvolupament de les ciutats no sols implica un canvi essencial en els patrons d'assentament humans, sinó també una dramàtica transformació del medi físic. D'aquí que tant les àrees urbanes com el seu desenvolupament esdevinguin el tema central de tots els debats sobre sostenibilitat i desenvolupament sostenible. Aquest assaig introdueix la noció del metabolisme urbà (MU), un terme que proporciona un marc conceptual per a l'estudi del funcionament de les ciutats i, en conseqüència, una aproximació a l'anàlisi de la sostenibilitat d'aquestes. Tant la importància com l'abast del tema deriven cap a formes diverses d'interpretar i, per tant, d'aplicar el concepte del MU a través de les diferents disciplines dels camps de coneixement de les ciències naturals i socials. Amb l'objectiu de comprendre les similituds i controvèrsies entre aquestes, la present revisió també exposa breument les arrels històriques del terme. Aquesta revisió posa de manifest la importància creixent d'un camp de recerca sobre el metabolisme de les àrees urbanes immers en una abundant, fèrtil i ràpida evolució.Las áreas urbanas son el principal hábitat de la mayoría de la población mundial. El desarrollo de las ciudades no solo implica un cambio fundamental en los patrones de asentamiento humano, sino también una dramática transformación del entorno físico. Es por ello que tanto las áreas urbanas como su desarrollo se encuentran en el centro de todas las discusiones sobre sostenibilidad y desarrollo sostenible. Este ensayo introduce la noción de metabolismo urbano (MU), un término que proporciona un marco conceptual para el estudio del funcionamiento de las ciudades y, consecuentemente, una aproximación al análisis de la sostenibilidad de las mismas. Tanto la importancia como el alcance del tema derivan en formas distintas de interpretar y, por tanto, de aplicar la noción del MU a través de distintas disciplinas pertenecientes a los campos de las ciencias naturales y sociales. Con el fin de comprender las similitudes y las controversias entre las mismas, la presente revisión también expone brevemente las raíces históricas del término. Esta revisión pone de manifiesto la importancia creciente de un campo de investigación sobre el metabolismo de las zonas urbanas inmerso en una abundante, fértil y rápida evolución.Les zones urbaines constituent l'habitat principal de la majorité de la population mondiale. Le développement des villes implique non seulement un changement fondamental dans les schémas d'établissement humain, mais aussi une transformation radicale de l'environnement physique. C'est pourquoi les zones urbaines et leur développement sont au centre de toutes les discussions sur le développement durable. Cet article introduit la notion de métabolisme urbain (MU), un terme qui fournit un cadre conceptuel pour l'étude du fonctionnement des villes et par conséquent, une approche de l'analyse de la viabilité de ce concept. En raison de l'importance et la portée du sujet, la notion de MU est interprété, et donc abordé, différemment selon les disciplines appartenant aussi bien aux domaines des sciences naturelles et qu'à celui des sciences sociales. Afin de comprendre les similitudes et les controverses entre ces dernières, cet article expose également brièvement les racines historiques du terme. Cet examen met en évidence l'importance croissante d'un domaine de recherche portant sur le métabolisme des zones urbaines, plongé dans une évolution rapide, riche et fertile

    Pathways to Coastal Resiliency: the Adaptive Gradients Framework

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    Current and future climate-related coastal impacts such as catastrophic and repetitive flooding, hurricane intensity, and sea level rise necessitate a new approach to developing and managing coastal infrastructure. Traditional “hard” or “grey” engineering solutions are proving both expensive and inflexible in the face of a rapidly changing coastal environment. Hybrid solutions that incorporate natural, nature-based, structural, and non-structural features may better achieve a broad set of goals such as ecological enhancement, long-term adaptation, and social benefits, but broad consideration and uptake of these approaches has been slow. One barrier to the widespread implementation of hybrid solutions is the lack of a relatively quick but holistic evaluation framework that places these broader environmental and societal goals on equal footing with the more traditional goal of exposure reduction. To respond to this need, the Adaptive Gradients Framework was developed and pilot-tested as a qualitative, flexible, and collaborative process guide for organizations to understand, evaluate, and potentially select more diverse kinds of infrastructural responses. These responses would ideally include natural, nature-based, and regulatory/cultural approaches, as well as hybrid designs combining multiple approaches. It enables rapid expert review of project designs based on eight metrics called “gradients”, which include exposure reduction, cost efficiency, institutional capacity, ecological enhancement, adaptation over time, greenhouse gas reduction, participatory process, and social benefits. The framework was conceptualized and developed in three phases: relevant factors and barriers were collected from practitioners and experts by survey; these factors were ranked by importance and used to develop the initial framework; several case studies were iteratively evaluated using this technique; and the framework was finalized for implementation. The article presents the framework and a pilot test of its application, along with resources that would enable wider application of the framework by practitioners and theorists

    To Do or Doughnut: Defining the Limits of the Urban Safe and Just Operating Space

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    This master thesis explores the relevance of the doughnut for sustainable urban planning and decision-making in the context of planetary urbanisation. The doughnut economics model outlines an ecologically safe and socially just operating space for humanity to operate in. The objectives of the study are to describe recent advances in downscaling the doughnut to the local context, explore the doughnut's relevance for sustainable urban planning and decision-making, and evaluate these findings in light of ongoing planetary urbanisation. The study is relevant because of the urgent need for urban planning and decision-making practices that consider the global impact of local actions and the emergence of the local as a battleground for global sustainability. The thesis used a qualitative research approach, specifically a literature review and case study method, to describe the application of the doughnut model in the local context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants who were involved in applying the doughnut model locally. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed thematically to identify patterns and trends between cases. Results show that working with the doughnut can enhance strategic planning practices by providing a meaningful definition of sustainability that can be communicated both internally and externally. A shared definition of sustainability, among others, promotes goal coherence, and ex-ante consideration of impacts. The findings indicate that local governments have limited capacity to address the different dimensions associated with broader sustainability considerations, calling into question the dominant narrative of the role of cities in saving the planet. The findings indicate that applying the doughnut is mostly relevant for enhancing local exchange processes between actors and strategic planning, but provides limited support for addressing urbanisation impacts at different scales. Working with the doughnut does not inherently challenge the hegemony around local urban and economic growth, as these remain key in meeting the needs of urban dwellers. The results highlight the need for greater efforts to integrate intergovernmental and academic sectors in sustainability planning to address the cross-scale interactions of urbanisation. Recommendations are made for future research and practice. Working with the doughnut stimulates cities to consider the broader impacts of local actions; this provides an opportunity to change the status quo of interactions between actors in the local governance system, possibly redirecting the operations of local institutions. However, this study raises questions about whether incremental actions of local actors will be enough in halting the rate and pace of socio-ecological deterioration in the age of the urban

    “By-product synergy” changes in the industrial symbiosis dynamics at the Altamira-Tampico industrial corridor: 20 years of industrial ecology in Mexico

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    The Industrial symbiosis emergence constitute a complex and dynamic process that we set in four different phases in this paper: Emergence, Regional efficiency, Regional learning, and Sustainable Industrial District. Embedded in a theoretical framework concerning the industrial symbiosis dynamic, this paper triggers a historical sequence of consequences in the industrial ecosystem evolution encompassing micro and macro elements, which also depends upon the individual actors’ intervention in the network. The industrial symbiosis at Altamira is depicted here as a centralized and ancillary industrial symbiosis embedding a socio-technical and environmental model, one of the most complete biophysical, social, and economic symbiotic case studies in Latin America. The further historical analysis uses the number of actors composing the industrial network and the amount of material and energy exchange flows as a proxy for the success of the Altamira By-Products Industrial Symbiosis as a way to approach sustainability in the industrial ecosystem and attractiveness in the territory. According to the analysis of those proxies in Altamira, the actors involved in the network decrease at the Regional efficiency stage, with the highest synergies rate. The Regional learning phase follows the dynamic through an eco-innovative ecosystem strategy, encompassing small and medium size firms in the region, as the mechanisms for improving learning and innovation, decreasing transaction costs and boosting sustainabilityPostprint (author's final draft

    From Theory to Practice: Enhancing the Potential Policy Impact of Industrial Ecology

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    Industrial ecology introduced a new paradigm of principles and tools useful to academic analysis and decision support activities for industry and policymakers. This paper presents a view of the state of the art of industrial ecology, encompassing the four major theoretical traditions comprising the field, and emphasizing the relevance to practice. The principles of industrial ecology offer a basis for integrating environmental perspectives into production and consumption strategies, though there are significant challenges to be addressed
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