Certificate in Environmental Management Module 1. Learner Manual SAMPLE

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1 Certificate in Environmental Management Module 1 Learner Manual

2 Planetary Boundaries and Safe-Operating Space DAY 1 Planetary boundaries is discussed in more depth later in this module. The planetary boundaries concept presents nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. This originates from the work of Rockstrom et al at the Stockholm Resilience Centre 4 who identified nine Planetary Boundaries. Climate change Ocean acidification Novel entities Stratospheric ozone depletion Biosphere integrity Climate change Bio-geochemical flows (nitrogen and phosphorus cycles) Atmospheric aerosol loading Freshwater use How Planetary Boundaries have changed since 190 Figure 1.3 Land+system change Land-system change Biosphere integrity The model is based on research from the 1970s which suggested that population, pollution, food production; industrialisation and resource depletion grew exponentially, compared to the potential of technology to increase resource availability/ efficiency linearly. Living within these limits is a precondition of sustainable development. Functional diversity Generic diversity Novel entities Strosphere ozone depletion Freshwater use Atomospheric aerosol loading Phosphorusorus Nitrogen Biogeochemical flows Ocean acidification Beyond zone of uncertainty (high risk) In zone of uncertainty (increasing risk) Below boundary (safe) Boundary not yet quantified Crossing these boundaries could generate abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. Respecting the boundaries reduces the risks to human society of crossing these thresholds. However, because of human activities, some of these dangerous boundaries have already been crossed, while others are in imminent danger of being crossed. 4. Rockwell et al, Stockholm Resilience Centre (201) Planetary Boundaries: Guiding Human Development on a Changing Planet Patterns of the Anthropocene, Science 347 [2017] 20 Certificate in Environmental Management - Learner Manual Sustainable Development: an Overview

3 Ecological Footprinting DAY 2 Overview The size and scale of human enterprise have grown exponentially since the mid-20th century. As a result, nature and the services it provides to humanity are subject to increasing risk. Scientists suggest we have transitioned from the Holocene into a new geological epoch, calling it the anthropocene. The future of many living organisms is now in question. Species populations of vertebrate animals have decreased in abundance by 8% between 1970 and The most common threat to declining animal populations is the loss and degradation of habitat. Increasingly, people are victims of the deteriorating state of nature: without action, the earth will become less hospitable to our modern globalised society. Humans have already pushed four planetary systems beyond the safe limit of their safe operating space. By 2012, the biocapacity equivalent of 1.6 planet earths were needed to provide the natural resources and services humanity consumed in that year. This opening extract from the 2016 WWF Living Planet Report outlines the environmental situation the world currently faces, demonstrating how humans and their habitats and lifestyles are putting the world s resources into a global deficit, by over-consuming, and under-replenishing. The term ecological footprint was coined in 1992 by the ecologists, William Rees and Mathis Wackernage, to describe the total ecological impact (the amount of land, food, water, and other resources needed) to sustain a person or organisation. This is usually measured in acres or hectares of productive land. It is well-documented that countries in the developed world consume far more than is deemed sustainable. If everyone in the world lived the average American lifestyle, over five planets would be needed to maintain the resources required. The UK needs just over three planets; Russia nearly two-and-a-half. A recent study by Per Square Mile 11 has produced even more startling data, demonstrating that the oil-rich nations of the Middle East are increasingly taking more than their fair share of resources. Nations Eco Footprints Figure 2.1 COUNTRY US.3 UK 3.1 France 3.0 Germany 2. To maintain nature in all of its many forms and functions and to create an equitable home for people on a finite planet, a basic understanding must inform development strategies, economic models, business models and lifestyle choices: we have only one planet and its natural capital is limited. A shared understanding of the link between humanity and nature could induce a profound change that will allow all life to thrive in the Anthropocene. 10 Russia 2.4 Brazil 1.2 Mauritius 1.0 China 0.8 India 0.4 Malawi 0.3 Source: BBC News 10. WWF, (2016), The Living Planet Report 2016 Summary [online], Available: [2017]. 11. De Chant, T. (2012) Per Square Mile, [online], Available: [2017]. 40 Certificate in Environmental Management - Learner Manual The Global Picture

4 World Population in 190, 2010, 200 and 2100 Figure 2.10 Asia Latin America and the Caribbean Africa North America Europe Billion The figure projects how the global population will shift in the next few decades, with the most growth coming from Asia in the short-term, Africa over the long-term, with a shrinking European population Billion Billion Billion Note: The population of Oceania (not shown), which represents less than 1% of the world population, rises five-fold over the period. Source: UN, 2013b Shares in percentage according to UN medium fertility variant projection DAY 2 Certificate in Environmental Management - Learner Manual The Global Picture

5 Middle Class Consumption, Figure 2.13 Share of natural middle-class consumption Average middle-class consumption DAY 2 100% Other countries Japan United 1 EU Member 0% Note: India China Thousand dollars per capita per year The 1 chosen EU Member are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. No Chinese data for Projections United 1 EU Member Japan South Korea Russia Malaysia Brazil China India Source: Kaufmann et al., 2012 Source: Taken from EEA State and Outlook 201: Assessment of global megatrends. The middle class has more expendable income, and thus more purchasing power, meaning it consumes more. More consumption means more resources and more waste, putting increasing pressure on the environment. People in rich countries consume up to ten times more natural resources than those in the poorest countries. On average, an inhabitant of North America consumes around 90kg of resources each day. In Europe, consumption is around 4kg per day, while in Africa people consume only around 10kg per day. Hence, as cultures get wealthier, their consumption patterns will rise, outstripping supply. 60 Certificate in Environmental Management - Learner Manual The Global Picture

6 The Circular Economy DAY 4 A circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design, and that aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles. In today s throwaway world, the circular economy aims to reduce the amount we use, to increase the amount we re-use, and to limit almost entirely the amount Circular Economy Model Figure 4. LINEAR MODEL TAKE Energy from Biogas Digestion/ Composting we throw away. By applying the lifecycle that occurs in nature to the traditional manufacturing lifecycle, the circular economy advocates hiring rather than buying products, reusing and extracting all possible value from products and services that are purchased, and a thoughtful approach towards disposal at the end of their useful life. Power Station Redesign Packaging for Biological Cycling SEPARATE MAKE SELL USE DISCARD Basic Materials Components Refurbish Remanufacture Repair/ Central Reuse Distribute RECYCLE Source: Certificate in Environmental Management - Learner Manual Strategies for Sustainable Development

7 Puma Upon analysing the findings it came up with the following conclusions. The example of Puma the global sportswear and leisure chain highlights the extent to which a company can involve itself in its supply chain right the way down the line. In 2010 Puma became one of the first multinational companies to attempt to measure, value and report on the environmental externalities caused by a major corporation and its entire supply chain, creating an environmental profit and loss account (E-P&L). Its mission is to be the world s most desirable and sustainable Sport lifestyle company, committed to living its principles and focused on empowering employees and suppliers on all levels to take action towards its collective sustainability goals, to provide an authentic and informed customer experience. Upon completing its audit it discovered the following results: PUMA s supply chain is responsible for 94% or 137m of its total environmental impact. Over half (7% or 83m) of all environmental impacts are associated with the production of raw materials (including leather, cotton and rubber) in Tier 4 of PUMA s supply chain. The development of the E P&L supports our vision of becoming the world s most desirable and sustainable Sportlifestyle company by helping to fully understand the scale of our impacts on the environment. We will use these results to help us manage our environmental impacts in both a more targeted and a more holistic way. We believe that managing and ultimately mitigating these impacts will not only result in a reduced impact on the environment but will also provide multiple competitive advantages. The E P&L is a powerful informational tool to help focus corporate strategy. When trying to calculate our environmental losses, monetising environmental impacts enables different impacts to be compared on a consistent basis, enabling us to focus our strategy and prioritise our efforts on the most significant impacts. Understanding that 8% of the environmental impacts occur in Tiers 2 4 of the supply chain prompts a focus on the management challenges related to these impacts, which have to date received less attention than the impacts of our own operations and those of our direct suppliers. We are currently analysing opportunities to influence the environmental impacts of Tiers 2-4 through the choice of raw and synthetic materials that are used in products, the selection of suppliers and by working with suppliers to reduce the impact of their current sourcing practices. DAY 4 Only 6% or 8m derive from PUMA s core operations such as offices, warehouses, stores and logistics; a further 9% ( 13m) occur in Tier 1, with the remaining 8% ( 124m) in Tiers 2-4. GHGs make up 90% of the total impact of PUMA s offices, stores and warehouses. The E P&L has produced a wealth of detailed information beyond the headline results which will be used internally to enhance decision making across a variety of business areas. For example, when looking at product design and material specification, the potential water and land-use implications can be evaluated upfront and alongside cost, performance and aesthetic considerations and included in procurement criteria. Certificate in Environmental Management - Learner Manual Strategies for Sustainable Development 179

II. STRESSES ON ECOSYSTEMS

II. STRESSES ON ECOSYSTEMS GENERAL TRENDS Recent research published in the journal Nature defines, for eight earth biophysical subsystems or processes, safe threshold boundaries that should not be exceeded