BRIDGES to sustainability

Dicksen Tanzil, BRIDGES to Sustainability, Houston, TX David Robert Taschler, Air Products Chemicals Inc., Allentown, PA... 

Rubbia, C., Hydrogen at crossroads between science and politics. Conference on the Hydrogen Economy - A Bridge to Sustainable Energy, Brussels, June 16-17, 2003. 

Finally, we would like to thank the Board and Advisory Council, as well as the extended family, of BRIDGES to Sustainability for their dedication to the mission of the organization and their crafting a more sustainable future with us. 

To corroborate and explore the importance of the drivers commonly cited in the literature, in 2004, BRIDGES to Sustainability (BRIDGES), in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC (PwC), developed a survey addressing the chemical industry s view of sustainability and its response to sustainability issues. BRIDGES,... 

Figure 4.2. Corporate sustainability learning curve. (Adapted from a conceptual model developed for The Stanley Works by BRIDGES to Sustainability and Convergence Consulting, 2004.)...

BRIDGES to Sustainability, A Pilot Study of Energy Performance Levels for the U.S. Chemical Industry, report to the U.S. Department of Energy, June 2001. Available at http //www.bridgestos.org/Publications.htm. 

Basic Eco-Efficiency Metrics. The above eco-efficiency categories can be captured by a small number of metrics. For illustration, let us consider the set of basic metrics adopted by BRIDGES to Sustainability (Schwarz et al., 2000, 2002), shown in Table 6.2. Informed by the work of NRTEE (1999) and WBCSD (Verfaillie and Bidwell, 2000), the metrics were chosen as ratios. Impacts are placed in the numerators and a measure of output is in the denominator. The denominator can be mass or other unit of product, functional unit, sales revenue, monetary value-added, or a certain measure of societal benefits. Expressing the metrics as ratios allow them to be compared and used in weighing decision alternatives and comparing operational units. Defined in this manner, the lower metrics are better as they reflect lower impacts per unit of value generation. 

One option is to base decisions on the four impact scenarios shown in Table 6.11. These scenarios are based on research primarily from the IPCC, and were developed by BRIDGES to Sustainability (2002) to assist decision-makers when considering... 

J. Schwarz, E. Beaver and B. Beloff, Sustainability Metrics Making Decisions for Major Chemical Products and Facilities, final report to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technologies, BRIDGES to Sustainability, Houston, 2000. 

The 2004 Chemical Industry Sustainability Survey and related Focus Groups Summaries, conducted by PwC and BRIDGES to Sustainability, with the... 

Every industry in the United States is grappling with sustainability, or corporate social responsibility, and the chemical industry is no exception. During the first quarter of 2004, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), in collaboration with BRIDGES to Sustainability (BRIDGES), conducted a survey, two focus groups, and interviews of senior executives and managers in the chemical industry, which revealed the following. 

The authors wish to thank Beth Beloff of BRIDGES to Sustainability for her assistance. 

Beaver, Earl R. is Chair of the Institute for Sustainability, Managing Partner of Practical Sustainability, EEC, and Chief Technical Advisor to BRIDGES to Sustainability he retired from Monsanto after 30 years of service. In his final position there he was responsible for the development of new environmental technology solutions for Monsanto Company s diverse operations, internal and external advocacy for sustainability and pollution prevention, as well as the development of sustainability and eco-efficiency tools. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and a Director of the National Environmental Technology Institute. He has authored many publications and patents. 

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