Evolution of Regional Socio-Economic System Toward "Islands of Sustainability"

Wallner, Heinz Peter; Narodoslawsky, Michael

doi:10.2190/vl9d-w5uj-qpy8-rlnj

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Industrial ecology operates at three different levels, ranging from the global level through the interfirm level to the level of the individual facility (Chertow 2000). The level directly examined here-the interfirm level-has been viewed in terms of various models and terminologies, ranging from eco-industrial parks (Côte and Cohen-Rosenthal 1998), industrial symbiosis (Chertow 2004) and industrial ecosystems (Côte and Hall 1995), to islands of sustainability (Wallner and Narodoslawsky 1996), industrial recycling networks (Schwarz and Steininger 1997), and byproduct-synergies (Forward and Mangan 1999). Within this framework of interfirm relationships, industrial symbiosis (IS) can be categorized as a concept of collective resource optimization based on by-product exchanges and utility sharing among different colocated facilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial Symbiosis in Kalundborg, Denmark: A Quantitative Assessment of Economic and Environmental Aspects

Jacobsen

2006

J of Industrial Ecology

611

319

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As a subdiscipline of industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis is concerned with resource optimization among colocated companies. The industrial symbiosis complex in Kalundborg, Denmark is the seminal example of industrial symbiosis in the industrial ecology literature. In spite of this, there has been no in‐depth quantitative analysis enabling more comprehensive understanding of economic and environmental performances connected to this case. In this article some of the central industrial symbiotic exchanges, involving water and steam, in Kalundborg are analyzed, using detailed economic and environmental data. It is found that both substantial and minor environmental benefits accrue from these industrial symbiosis exchanges and that economic motivation often is connected to upstream or downstream operational performance and not directly associated with the value of the exchanged byproduct or waste itself. It is concluded that industrial symbiosis, as viewed from a company perspective, has to be understood both in terms of individual economic and environmental performance, and as a more collective approach to industrial sustainability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial Symbiosis in Kalundborg, Denmark: A Quantitative Assessment of Economic and Environmental Aspects

Jacobsen

2006

J of Industrial Ecology

611

319

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“…At the 1992 Earth Summit, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development presented its publication entitled “Changing Course”, thus endorsing “eco-efficiency” [ 5 ] as a new way for private sector business to implement Agenda 21. In 1996, Wallner and Narodoslawsky [ 6 , 7 ] were part of the momentum behind the sustainability movement, proposing that industry progressing from unsustainable to sustainable production was an evolutionary process taking industry towards “islands of sustainability”. Since those times, much research documenting this evolution has been published, more especially in recent years.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The acceptability of industry as a system that evolves, much like the natural ecological system does, was gaining momentum. Wallner [ 6 , 7 ] went on to propose, from his two articles, that industry’s movement from unsustainable production to sustainable production was an evolutionary process. Supporting this thinking, only a year later, the natural environment, or ecology, was used as a metaphor for industrial ecology [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Circular Economy at the Kwinana Industrial Area, Western Australia—the Dimensions and Value of Industrial Symbiosis

et al. 2021

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The major industrial companies located in the Kwinana Industrial Area (KIA) produce many industrial, agricultural and mining chemicals and refined materials, for national and international markets. With over 150 documented product and by-product exchanges, Kwinana is considered to be one of the best examples of industrial symbiosis (IS) in the world. A new model of IS comprised of four dimensions is under development, whereby whilst each dimension is unique, collectively, they interact to characterise an industrial estate, thus contributing to the evolutionary understanding of IS. We investigate the basis for this model through an analysis of two water circular economy examples as they relate to Western Australia’s premier industrial area, the KIA. Case studies will consider a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) project that failed and the process water interconnectedness of enterprises operating successfully as a sub-ecology within the industrial cluster. Apart from the traditional product and by-product dimension of IS, three additional dimensions seem to be playing a crucial role in the KIA, these being the skilled workforce, support industry and governance dimensions. We provide additional context for the water-related examples of the circular economy at Kwinana by exploring a new four-dimensional model for IS.

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“…As a matter of fact, regional approaches were also identified as an important field of research for sustainable development (SUSTAIN, 1994). One concrete result of this research was the concept of``Islands of Sustainability'' (IOS) (Wallner, 1995;Wallner and Narodoslawsky, 1993;1996a;1996b;1997).…”

Section: Sustainable Development In the Austrian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

A regional approach to sustainability in Austria

Narodoslawsky

2001

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

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The political discussion about sustainable development had an early start in the Austrian context. The concept of “eco‐social market economy” was introduced at the end of the 1980s and dominated the Austrian approach towards sustainable development for much of the 1990s. This early start had some consequences especially regarding regional approaches towards the implementation of sustainable development. One major feature was the absence of local or regional LA 21 initiatives and a proliferation of diverse regional approach acts to further sustainable development. One approach put into effect in the Feldbach region in the south‐east of Austria was the concept of Islands of Sustainability. The idea of this concept was the realisation of a regional pathway towards sustainable development via conscious management of flows (of matters, products, capital, etc.) into the region as well as increasing the intra‐regional networking of social actors. This concept called for a long term involvement of research in the process of implementation of sustainable development. The experiences showed that existing research institutions, such as universities as well as consultant companies, were not optimally equipped to support this process. As a consequence, a new approach of “regionalised” research centres was adopted. This approach ensured accessibility of research capacity by the important players in the region, as well as efficient application of scientific knowledge to concrete on‐the‐ground decision making within the region.

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Evolution of Regional Socio-Economic System Toward "Islands of Sustainability"

Cited by 14 publications

References 7 publications

Industrial Symbiosis in Kalundborg, Denmark: A Quantitative Assessment of Economic and Environmental Aspects

Industrial Symbiosis in Kalundborg, Denmark: A Quantitative Assessment of Economic and Environmental Aspects

Water Circular Economy at the Kwinana Industrial Area, Western Australia—the Dimensions and Value of Industrial Symbiosis

A regional approach to sustainability in Austria

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