1.1 sustainable development and system innovation vezzoli 09-10 (31)

Carlo Vezzoli

Politecnico di Milano / INDACO dept. / DIS / Faculty of Design / Italy

carlo vezzoli politecnico di milano . INDACO dpt. . DIS . faculty of design . Italy

Learning Network on Sustainability

course System Design for Sustainability subject 1. Sustainable development and design: the reference framework

learning resource 1.1

Sustainable development and system innovation

Carlo Vezzoli


CONTENTS . a context in strong evolution (and crises) . the sustainable development . environmental sustainability . socio-ethical sustainability . economic/legislative sustainability . dimension and quality of change . system innovation for sustainability

Carlo Vezzoli


A CONTEXT IN A STRONG EVOLUTION . advent of information and comunication technologies (technologies of knowledge are at the based of productivity, competition and power) . interconnection (people, ideas, images, goods, money, are circulating like never before) . network society (not anymore only divided into independent and isolated nations or communities) . enterprises in network (teamwork, networking, outsourcing, subcontracting, delocalisation,…) . …

Carlo Vezzoli


A CONTEXT IN A STRUCTURAL CRISES (1/2) ECONOMIC CRISIS (AND SOCIAL) 2008-201X: [STRUCTURAL, NOT JUST FINANCIAL] . crisis of the industrial model based on material consumption: services (not products) produce 50% Europe GDP and 75% of U.S. GDP . high feedstock„s prices . global food crisis . high global inflation . threat of a recession in the world . crisis of credit . crisis of confidence in stock exchange markets ... . unemployment

Carlo Vezzoli


ENVIROMENTAL CRISIS: THE DISCOVERY OF ENVIROMENTAL LIMITS (AND IRREVERSIBILITY HARMFUL EFFECT)

1972: Meadows, Meadows, Randers, Behrens, Limits to Growth, MIT, USA

> FIRST FORECAST OF A POSSIBLE GOBAL ECO-SYSTEM COLLAPSE

A CONTEXT IN A STRUCTURAL CRISES (2/2)

Carlo Vezzoli


FACING THE DOUBLE CRISIS (TODAY): SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL 危机: CRISIS (危: RISK; "机: OPPORTUNITIES ') in Chinese (as in other languages), the word crisis has two meanings, risk and opportunity . many (rightly) talk about risks . we should/must (also) talk about opportunities [the same nature of design is to consider the opportunities and become its promoter]

Carlo Vezzoli


WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMICAL CRISIS WHICH ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES? DO WE KNOW ANY OFFER/BUSINESS MODELS CAPABLE OF CREATING (NEW) VALUE DECOUPLING IT FROM THE MATERIALS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION? > significantly reducing the environmental impact of traditional production/consumption systems?

[about opportunities]

A KEY CONTEMPORARY QUERRY:

Carlo Vezzoli


"The threat of climate change is serious, urgent and growing."

"The response to this challenge of our generation will be judged by history, to the point that if we fail, we risk to deliver to future generations an irreversible catastrophe"

"There is now a widespread understanding of the urgency of the challenge we are facing. We know what must be done. "

Barack Hussein Obama, USA president, September 22, 2009, the UN General Assembly

SUSTAINABILITY: INTERNATIONAL PRIORITIES?

Carlo Vezzoli


2005-2014: UNITED NATION DECADE ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning even DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY starts to be diffused in the curricula of design schools

EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL PRIORITY

Carlo Vezzoli


THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

A SOCIAL AND PRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT

that takes place within the limits set by the

“nature” and meets the needs of the present

without compromising those of the future

generation within a world-wide equitable

distribution of resources

. 1987: Our common future, WCED, ONU (first definition)

. 1991: Caring for the earth, UNEP, WWF, IUCN

. 1992: conference ONU, Environment and development, Rio de Janeiro

. 1994: fifth environmental action plan, European Commission … . 2002: summit ONU, Sustainable development, Johannesburg . 2006/2009: Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS), European Commission . 2005-2014: Decade UNESCO “Education for Sustainable development”

Carlo Vezzoli


ENVIRONMENTAL: CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL - not to exceed the biosphere and geosphere

“resilience”

SOCIO-ETHICAL - same resources (satisfaction) level for future

generations - equity in the distribution of resources (satisfaction)

ECONOMIC (AND LEGISLATIVE) - economically practicable and prosperous solutions

THE SUSTAINABILITY DIMENSIONS

Carlo Vezzoli


THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

[THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE]

THE HARMFULNESS/IRREVERSIBILITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS/EFFECTS

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serra

greenhouse effect

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ozono

ozone layer deplation

Carlo Vezzoli


eutrhophication

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acid

ifica

tion

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toxici ty

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rifiuti wastes

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ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: ACTIONS

PRESERVE THE RESOURCES

PREVENT THE POLLUTION

Carlo Vezzoli


ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: SCENARIOS

BIO-COMPATIBILITY resources flows compatible with the natural system

NON-INTERFERENCE “self-financing” of the artificial system‟s resource flows DEMATERIALIZATION reduction of the resources flows to satisfy a particular social demand of needs and desires

Carlo Vezzoli


EQUITY PRINCIPLE [UN, Johannesburg, 2002] “every person, in a fair distribution of resources, has a right to the same environmental space, i.e. to the same availability of global natural resources” (or better, to the same level of “satisfaction” that can be achieved from these resources in different ways) SOCIAL EQUITY AND COHESION [EU, SDS, 2006/2009] “promotion of a democratic, socially inclusive, cohesive, healthy, safe and just society with respect for fundamental rights and cultural diversity that creates equal opportunities and combats discrimination in all its forms”

SOCIO-ETHICAL SUSTAINABILITY

Carlo Vezzoli


ERADICATING POVERTY

THE SOCIO-ETHICAL DIMENSION: ACTIONS

Rome, 11.2009: World Summit on Food Security, FAO

Carlo Vezzoli


[. eradicating poverty]

. promotion of principles and rules of democracy

. promotion of human rights and freedom

. achievement of peace and security

. access to information, training, employment

. respect for cultural diversity, regional identity

THE SOCIO-ETHICAL DIM.: (OTHER) ACTIONS

Carlo Vezzoli


ECONOMIC PROSPERITY [EU, SDS, 2006] promote a prosperous, innovative, knowledge-rich, competitive and eco-efficient economy which provides high living standards and full and high-quality employment

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Carlo Vezzoli


PROPER ATTRIBUTION OF THE COSTS TO RESOURCES environmental resources‟ costs “internalisation”

ORIENTING (MAIN) ONGOING TRANSITIONS

interconnection, glocalization, services, information, etc. ENHANCING PROMISING (OF NICHE) ECONOMIC MODELS e.g. sustainable system innovation or distributed economies

ECONOMIC (LEGISLATIVE) SUSTAINABILITY: ACTIONS

Carlo Vezzoli


IN 50 YEARS A WORLD-WIDE EQUITABLE SYSTEMS

OF PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION SHOULD USE

~90% LESS RESOURCES THAN THE

INDUSTRIALISED CONTEXTS ARE DOING TODAY

SUSTAINABILITY: SIZE OF CHANGE

. 1993: Wuppertal institute,vari report

. 1993: WBCSD, Getting Eco-Efficient

. 2004: Meadows, Meadows, Randers, Behrens, Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update . 2007: IPCC, Climate change report …

Carlo Vezzoli


SUSTAINABILITY: QUALITY OF CHANGE

PROMOTE (EVEN) SYSTEM INNOVATIONS

RADICAL CHANGE (“DISCONTINUITY”)

DIFFUSED INNOVATION

PROMOTE PLAUSIBLE AND “ATTRACTIVE” (SYSTEM) INNOVATIONS

Carlo Vezzoli


SYSTEM INNOVATIONS

from the process and product innovation to the system innovation:

innovation of the mix of products and services that are together able to fulfil a particular demand of (customer) “satisfaction”, as well as the innovation of the interaction of the stakeholders of the related “satisfaction system (or value production system).

“A value system includes the value chains of a firm's supplier (and their suppliers all the way back), the firm itself, the firm distribution channels, and the firm's buyers (and presumably extended to the buyers of their products, and so on).” [Michael Porter, 2006]

Carlo Vezzoli


AN EXAMPLE OF

(SUATINABLE) SYSTEM INNOVATION

Carlo Vezzoli


ARISTON + ENEL: PAY-PER-USE

payment is based on number of washes and includes: delivery of a washing machine at home (not owned), electricity supply (not directly paid), maintenance, up-grading and end-of-life collection.

the innovative interaction between the two companies and the client, make the companies‟ interest to design and provide (and design) high efficient, long lasting, reusable and recyclable washing machines

Carlo Vezzoli


SYSTEM INNOVATION: CHARACTERISTSICS

WIN-WIN POTENTIAL: SYSTEM ECO-EFFICIENCY innovation in which is the company/companies‟ economic and competitive interest that leads to an environmental impact reduction (system eco-efficiency) STAKEHOLDERS‟ INTERACTIONS INNOVATION

radical innovation, not so much as technological one, but rather as innovative interactions/partnership/services among the stakeholders of a particular satisfaction system

1.1 sustainable development and system innovation vezzoli 09-10 (31)

Technology