CRADLE-TO-CRADLE: Strategic Implementation throughout society

 

 

Draft Feb 6 2008

 

 

Augusto Cuginotti

Karen Miller

Freek Van der Pluijm

 

 

 

1. Introduction

 

    1.1  Context

 

The Netherlands is currently embracing the cradle-to-cradle(C2C) concept as a development strategy at various levels of society.  Cradle-to-cradle networks are emerging, and people are looking for a way to move forward with the concept in a strategic way.

 

Through a series of exploratory interviews with practitioners at a range of levels of society involved in the cradle-to-cradle networks (government, small business, large business, academia – see appendix A for full list of interviewees), we have collected a sampling of impressions, experiences, ideas and challenges related to the implementation of cradle-to-cradle in practice.  

 

In particular, we have identified that the cradle-to-cradle vision and strategy is not yet compatible with the current reality we live in.  For cradle-to-cradle to be fully sustainable, renewable energy needs to be the norm, and processes need to be put in place to complete the links for a circular supply chain (ex: a marketplace for end-of-life products and a database of cradle to cradle materials).  Collaboration and systems thinking will be key to overcoming these challenges.

 

In light of these challenges, and the current desire to use C2C as a development strategy in the Netherlands, we have identified the following research questions to guide implementation in a strategic way towards sustainability:

 

 

    2. Main Research Question

 

How can a society successfully  strategically transition towards Cradle-to-Cradle?

 

 

    2.1 Sub-research Questions

 

 

In order to answer the main research question, we will begin by addressing the following sub-research questions:

 

How can a society  in which C2C has been entirely implemented  best be characterized/described ?

 

 

What are the roles and functions  that organizations will fulfill in this cradle-to-cradle society?

 

 

What is the current reality  with respect to the cradle-to-cradle vision?

 

 

How can strategic planning from the current reality towards the cradle-to-cradle vision best take place ?

 

    2.2 Key Terminology

 

Cradle-to-cradle

 

Strategic Sustainable Development

 

Sustainability Principles

 

Backcasting from Sustainability Principles

 

ABCD process for planning in complex systems

 

Systems Thinking and analysis

 

3. Research Methodology + Planning

 

 

    3.1 Methods

 

Phase 1: Describe what the cradle-to-cradle world looks like, in answering our first and second sub-questions:

 

•    How can a society in which cradle-to-cradle has been entirely implemented best be characterized/described?

•    What are the roles and functions that organizations will fulfill in this Cradle to Cradle society?

 

In order to make this description, we will draw upon the disciplines of systems thinking, industrial ecology, the cradle-to-cradle book and interviews about the cradle-to-cradle vision.  We will lay out assumptions and system boundaries (one major assumption is that the society is industrialized).  

 

In creating this description, we will consider such aspects as: what does the circular supply chain look like?  How do various organizations interact with material flows?  What are possibilities for market places for material databases or end-of-life marketplace?  What does the energy distribution network look like?  Is information open-source?  How do we build transparency and trust?  We will try to keep our description as generic as possible, with the intent of defining principles rather than a detailed scenario (second order principles).  We will use the sustainability principles and the cradle-to-cradle vision as our guiding frameworks.

 

The goal of this document is to describe the cradle-to-cradle industrialized world in a more systematic way, and identify points for discussion and leverage points for intervention.

 

 

Phase 2:  Assessment of current reality against this vision of cradle-to-cradle.  

 

In this phase we will perform a SWOT analysis of C2C as it is currently being implemented, also focussing on the current strategies proposed by McDonough, Braungart and Bollinger (2007) to further its implementation.   

 

Much groundwork has already been done with respect to this phase.  Freek and Karen completed their tools and concepts paper about C2C, and this paper has been circulated around the C2C networks in the Netherlands.  Wouter Kersten from ENVIU (a sustainability incubator based in Rotterdam) has performed a SWOT analysis partially informed by our work.  He will be collaborating with us throughout our thesis project.  All analysis will be performed against the vision of the cradle-to-cradle future created in phase 1 and will inform the strategic recommendations for action of phase 3.  

 

 

Phase 3:  Strategic planning towards the cradle-to-cradle vision.

 

Our work throughout phase 1 and 2 will be open-source in the form of a discussion document.   The goal is for this discussion document to serve as the base for a multi-stakeholder dialogue between key players in the field in the Netherlands.  The process of this dialogue will be a first step in strategic implementation, and we will reflect on our approach within the larger context of the system we have described.

 

Strategic planning will take place on different levels and for different actors on a specific level; on a regional and organizational level, from government to business. If time allows we might dive deeper into one specific part more deeply. An ambition is to organize a multi-stakeholder dialogue by means of a conference in which representatives work towards building a shared vision and go through a facilitated process to begin planning strategically towards the vision.  

 

 

We are currently working to secure funding and support to put on such a workshop, and the goal is for this to happen in April.

 

 

 

3.2 Timeline

 

All work will be done in an iterative process, with each phase informing the others, and interviews conducted throughout.

 

 

Goals and benchmarks:

 

 

Phase 1:

Feb 11-Feb 29: Literature reviews, interviews and writing with respect to phase 1

Updating document will be an iterative process that will continue throughout the research period

 

 

Phase 2:

Feb 18 – March 16: interviews will be conducted, and research done, to assess the current reality of organizations at various levels of society.  

 

 

Phase 3:

March 1 – April 18:  Workshops, dialogue and writing of final document.

 

April 18: hand in Draft of Final Report

 

 

 

    5. Expected Results

 

A high quality document highlighting the roles of various organizations within the context of a sustainable cradle-to-cradle society, produced with input from many different stakeholders.

 

Strategic recommendations as to how a society can use the cradle-to-cradle concept as a catalyst in a transition towards sustainability.

 

 

 

 

Appendix A: List of interviewees: Jan 28-Feb2:

 

 

	Location	title/level of  society
	Heemstede	Entrepreneur / small business
	Rotterdam	Professor of Industrial Ecology/ academia
	Venlo	Director of the Chamber of Commerce / government
	Utrecht	Renewable energy consultant / international consultancy
	Scherpenzeel	Large business
	Delft	Director of the Industrial Ecology Programme / academia
	The Hague	National Government
	The Hague	Business Consultant / small business
	Amsterdam	Sustainability Consultants / Medium sized business
	Amsterdam	VP Sustainable Development / large business (financial institution)
	Rotterdam	Academia/ small business, entrepreneur
	Maastricht	Provincial Government
	Maastricht	Chemical Industry

                               

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

 

Braungart, Michael, McDonough, William and Bollinger, Andrew.  “ Cradle-to-cradle design: creating healthy emissions – a strategy for eco-effective product and system design.”  Journal of Cleaner Production 15 (2007) 1337-1348

 

Daly, Herman and Farley, Joshua. Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications. Island Press. (2003)

 

Gehin, A.*, P. Zwolinski, D. Brissaud. “A tool to implement sustainable end-of-life strategies in the product development phase.” Journal of Cleaner Production 16 (2008) 566-576

 

MacKay, Laura,  Ann Scheerer and Tomomi Takada. Entrepreneurs as Change Agents to Move Communities Towards Sustainability. Blekinge Institute of Technology (2005).

 

McDonough, William and Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things. North Point Press. (2002)

 

Morrisa, Michael, Minet Schindehutteb and Jeffrey Allenc.  “The entrepreneur ’s business model: toward a unified perspective.”  Journal of Business Research 58 (2005): 726 – 735.

 

Senge, Peter, Goran Carstedt and Patrick Porter. “Innovating our way to the next Industrial Revolution.” MIT Sloan Management Review.  42,2 (2001): 24   

 

Ny, Henrik. 2006. Strategic life-cycle modeling for sustainable product

 

development. Blekinge Institute of Technology licentiate dissertation series, (2006):08. Karlskrona: Blekinge Institute of Technology.  

 

Willard, Bob.  The Next Sustainability Wave