“When It Comes to LCA Tools, It’s the Wild West”

At least that’s the view taken by The Green to Gold Business Playbook authors, Daniel Esty and PJ Simmons. As noted in a recent article on the subject:

“Assessing environmental impacts of individual products or services (we’ll call them ‘products’ for short) is one of the most important things you can do in creating the diagnostic foundation that your company needs to pursue Eco-Advantage. Product-level impact analyses can help fine-tune your understanding of eco-related risks and opportunities, pinpoint specific areas for you to target for improvement, and help you evaluate complex options and trade-offs in product and process design.

But conducting product impact assessments is tricky. There are many competing methodologies and tools available for product “life cycle analysis/assessment” (LCA) -- from ‘LCA Light’ rapid assessment tools to costly software tools that can intimidate PhDs.”

Couple this with initiatives being launched by the engineering software community – and you’ve got lots of options to choose from. There are even free tools – like the open source LCA offering available from Earthster.

So what to do?

Probably the most important message here is that the need to assess the environmental impacts of our products, and of the product design and development process – is important, and only promises to become even more critical in the years ahead. So, if companies haven’t already begun to take steps to address this challenge, it’s time.

If you're an engineer or designer involved in product design, there are a number of options for you to consider. If you're looking to gain a basic understanding of what environmental impact assessment is all about, Sustainable Minds is a great place to start, and is suitable for any design professional, independent of the CAD tool they may be using. Autodesk Inventor professionals may want to explore EcoMaterials Advisor as a first step. Solidworks professionals may want to investigate Solidworks Sustainability Xpress, and PTC Pro/Engineer professionals may want to explore Windchill Product Analytics.

Each of these companies offers extensive educational resources, as well - from Sustainable Minds' free weekly introductory webinar and Autodesk's Sustainability Workshop to Solidworks' new Guide to Sustainability primer. For those students or professionals who have already embarked on the quest to better understand and apply sustainability principles in their work, it's worth mentioning that Solidworks recently launched a green design contest in honor of Earth Day, and Autodesk, too has a number of initiatives in place to reward innovative sustainable product design. So, the good news is that there are many resources available, and many companies eager to help you take those first steps towards embracing sustainability in your design efforts.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

Solidworks Launches Green Design Contest

How to Undertake a Life Cycle Assessment of Your Products and Services

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function

Sustainability and Profitability: It’s Not Only Possible, It’s Essential

Want to Be More Profitable? More Innovative? Embrace Sustainability.

That’s the message that you’re going to be hearing more and more. It’s not a matter of juggling one at the expense of the other – sustainability is all about gaining greater efficiencies – from promoting greater productivity and energy efficiency to reducing excesses – use of less material where possible, and use of materials or processes that require less energy or resources, or don’t depend on the use of scarce materials. What’s important to point out is that sustainability – and the life cycle thinking that goes along with sustainable thinking – is, by definition, a driver of innovation and greater profitability.

Early corporate social responsibility initiatives, however, seemed to cloud this issue a bit. The emphasis was on social responsibility – with the sense that the cost of being socially responsible was something that corporations needed to take on, simply because it was “the right thing to do.” But, the economic part of the equation cannot be ignored. In short, in order for any sustainability initiative to be successful, the resulting products or services must be competitively priced and of comparable quality.

As noted in a recent article on the subject, Coca-Cola customer sustainability director Jake Backus puts the point simply:


“Consumers will not switch to a more sustainable product unless it is equally good or better than the current one, and equally priced.” Coke is [also] buying new machinery for its producers of plastic bottles so they can make them from plant-based material rather than oil-based matter. The plant-based plastic is likely to be cheaper in the long run. Efforts already made by Coca-Cola in 2009 achieved $100m worth of savings because it cut down on packaging.


At the same time, sustainability does require looking at the economic equation over the long run. The authors go on to describe another leading manufacturer’s sustainability journey – one that acknowledges the importance of looking beyond short-term financial gains:


Unilever wants to double its sales while reducing its environmental impact, something that chief executive Paul Polman has encouraged profit-focused shareholders to support. Polman railed against investors looking only at short-term growth and ignoring longer term sustainability issues. At the World Economic Forum last year, he made an impassioned plea to fellow business leaders to “ignore the demands of short-term shareholders and lead from the front on sustainability and climate change,” The Times reported last autumn.“

In short, manufacturers are beginning to embrace sustainability because it truly can be good for the planet and society, as well as good for the bottom line. And, indeed, must be good for the bottom line, if it is to represent a sustainable solution. For others, sustainability is driving innovation that contributes to top-line growth, as well.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

The New CSR: This Time, It’s Profitable

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

Sustainability and the Design Engineer

In a recent article on the topic of greening the electronics supply chain – an astute observation was made by Kenneth Stanvick, senior vice president at DCA (Design Chain Associates). “The burden of compliance is on design,” says Stanvick.

As noted in an excerpt from the article:

“At the center of the green supply chain is the design engineer. Not many years ago, an engineer could spend time at the bench creating great products. The concerns were quality, market competition, and cost. A few new and profound responsibilities have fallen on the design engineer’s shoulders: green part selection as well as design for green manufacturing, for energy savings, for light packaging, for recycling, and for take-back. Plus, the target is always moving. A product that meets the long list of criteria this year will likely fall short five years from now.”

So, here’s the question – if the design engineer is being held accountable for sustainability – design for green manufacturing, for light packaging, recycling and more – what kind of support is being provided to this design engineer? Traditionally, engineers have been measured on their ability to create products that perform faster, can be made more cheaply, or that are – in some way – more innovative, and can therefore – command a greater market share, or attract new customers. Product performance – to a large extent – has been the primary focus of the design engineer – so, what has to change in order for the design engineer to change his or her focus to performance and sustainability?

One approach is to introduce metrics that reward design efforts that produce more energy efficient products, or that include new ways to dismantle and recycle. Another approach is to simply build selected green or sustainable attributes into the design specification: light-weight packaging, energy efficiency ratings, etc. But, as many sustainability experts have noted, if the responsibility for sustainability rests with the design engineer – then it is essential that key elements in the education and training of engineers must change.

The good news is that we are beginning to see some developments in this area – engineering programs at colleges and universities around the world are beginning to include more guidance regarding designing with environmental impact in mind. Moreover, design tools are beginning to evolve to assist in this effort as well. But, we are still very much in the early stages of both embracing sustainability as an objective, and providing engineers with the much needed support and education required to enable them to become more sustainability-focused.

Sustainable design – and all of the cultural change and infrastructure required to support it - is a journey, much like the quality movement that took place decades ago. We can’t expect it to happen overnight – but we can begin looking at the ways that we can support this effort – and especially, ways that we can support the engineers who will, ultimately, be the ones being held accountable for sustainable design.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

Make Your Electronics Supply Chain Green – Or Else

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

New Report Suggests that Product-level LCA Is Showing Early Signs of Growth

“The green shoots of demand for product LCA solutions are just starting to poke through a muddy patch in the market.” -- Verdantix director, Rodolphe d’Arjuzon

According to the recent study, Smart Innovators Product LCA Software, a flood of new software in the product LCA category will help firms improve their environmental impact, with demand picking up in 2012.

As noted in a recent article on the topic, Verdantix expects demand to pick up in 2012 due to new regulations on Scope 3 emissions reporting, as well as a growing focus on green procurement and evidence of the business value of LCA projects.

Indeed, it is our view that Scope 3 emissions reporting will have a significant impact on demand for sustainability assessment and reporting tools, as well. As noted in a previous post on this topic, Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: Reporting on “Scope 3” Emissions at the Product-level and Across the Supply Chain, the ability to identify and reduce scope 3 emissions – in particular, those associated with measuring GHG emissions at the product level – will grow in importance as regulations begin to reflect Scope 3 reporting requirements.

In particular, proposed definitions for scope 3 emissions reporting relate to a number of product-specific categories, including: emissions occurring during the product use phase, emissions resulting from disposal of products at end of life, and emissions occurring during transportation and distribution of sold products.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

Lifecycle Assessment Market to ‘Pick up in 2012’

Smart Innovators Product LCA Software

Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: Reporting on “Scope 3” Emissions at the Product-level and Across the Supply Chain

Autodesk Inventor 2012: “Changing the Game in Sustainable Product Design”

Today, Autodesk unveiled its 2012 manufacturing software portfolio, which - in addition to numerous enhancements to its mechanical design software, Autodesk Inventor - includes a new tool to help designers create more sustainable products. More specifically, as part of that announcement, Autodesk introduced the Eco Materials Adviser, developed in partnership with Granta Design Ltd., to aid in the selection of eco-friendly materials early in the product design process.

As the company states: “As a result of the strategic partnership announced in Oct. 2010, Autodesk and Granta Design Ltd. have built new design methods into Autodesk Inventor 2012 software that help designers estimate a product’s environmental impact and make more sustainable design decisions. The new Eco Materials Adviser in Inventor 2012 addresses sustainable design requirements early in the design process — when it matters most — enabling manufacturers to choose materials that minimize environmental impact without compromising on cost and performance. Powered by Granta’s expert materials database and proven sustainable design methodology, Eco Materials Adviser helps guide material selection and generates eco-impact reports so engineers can record and communicate the benefits of their sustainable design decisions.”

Earlier in the year at the Autodesk Sustainability Summit, Product Manager Sarah Krasley spoke about the future of sustainable design for manufacturers and provided a “sneak peek” at the sustainability software being developed in partnership with Granta. In an earlier post, we also highlighted this event, and looked forward to the official release of the software.

Of course, what really matters – as Krasley is quick to point out – is what customers think. Does this new tool really help product designers to create more sustainable products? Is it easy to use and implement? At first glance, it certainly appears to have tremendous potential – and we sincerely believe that Autodesk is moving in the right direction with its sustainability initiatives.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

Autodesk Unveils 2012 Manufacturing Software Portfolio

Sustainability Summit at Autodesk

Sustainable Design for Manufacturing

Autodesk Offers “Sneak Peek” at Its New Sustainable Design Tool

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

Profiting from Sustainability: Is The Road to Riches Paved with… Green?

“Improving sustainability is not a high priority for companies,” according to findings from a recent study of over 2500 executives in Europe, North America and Asia. Yet the findings also suggest that companies are profiting from sustainability initiatives.

So, what’s the catch?

Simple. While companies may not view sustainability as a goal or priority in and of itself, they are discovering that sustainability can serve as a means of achieving goals like revenue growth, customer retention or cost-cutting. And, that – in my estimation – is exactly what we can – and should - expect to find as sustainability begins to gain a real foothold.

It’s not surprising, for example, that when corporate decision-makers were asked about their company’s top business priorities for 2011, revenue growth was cited as #1, customer retention #2, and cost-cutting #3 – with sustainability showing up right near the bottom of the list. Indeed, just 10% of respondents indicated that sustainability was one of their firm's high priorities for 2011, according to the research findings.

What these findings suggest is that corporations remain focused on more conventional ROI – growing revenue, satisfying customers, and reducing costs. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Why? Because – the fact is that corporations are still largely evaluated based on their ability to make money – not to make the world a better place. But, the two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the triple bottom line actually requires that companies balance their investments in sustainability across three key elements – economic, social and environmental issues.

That said, the road to riches is increasingly paved, it seems - with… green. And, not greenbacks. In fact, corporations are learning that it pays to invest in sustainability consulting services because sustainability initiatives – in the hands of the right sustainability professional – can yield big benefits.

The study, for example, cites a consumer products company that realized - through the help of a sustainability consultant - that it could retain more customers by keeping its packaging to a minimum and by identifying its material sources. And, certainly, manufacturers that are able to cut development or energy costs by being environmentally-responsible and reducing waste, improving recycling efforts and increasing efficiency – are benefiting from sustainability, even if sustainability isn’t necessarily the primary objective. Actually, sustainability for the sake of sustainability is something that few – if any – corporations can afford to pursue.

Because at the end of the day – as good as it may feel to be doing what’s right, a corporation can’t pay its people with just good intentions. Cold, hard cash – as unsavory as it may seem – is still what makes the world go round. The good news is that it’s becoming increasingly beneficial for companies – and manufacturers, in particular, to embrace sustainability, because it pays to do so. And, when that happens, both people and the planet are able to benefit, too.

Of course, as many of you already know, we’re working on some sustainability research of our own – related specifically to sustainable product design and manufacturing. And we’re anxious to learn more about the ways in which your organization is -- or isn't -- experiencing the benefits of being "sustainability-driven," so – please consider this your invitation to participate in our study. You’ll be eligible to receive a FREE copy of the research findings.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

See also:

Sustainability Doesn’t Sell…or Does It?

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

"The Seven Habits of... Highly Successful Sustainability-Driven Organizations"

MIT/Boston Consulting Group’s  Innovation and Sustainability Study Provides a Glimpse into Sustainability “Best Practices”

According to the recent research study, “Sustainability: The “Embracers Seize Advantage” conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group, the business case for sustainability as a foundation for future growth is strong among top performers. It also suggests that sustainability-driven organizations exhibit seven shared traits, which are described in more detail below.

More specifically, those companies that have made sustainability a core part of their business strategy -“the embracers” -- are not only more sustainability-savvy - they're also experiencing greater business success than their peers. What are they doing that their poorer performing peers are not? The sustainability "embracers" see the payoff of sustainability-driven management largely in intangible advantages, process improvements, the ability to innovate, and critically, in the opportunity to grow, according to the research.  By comparison, the laggards, or the “cautious adopters” see the business case for sustainability mostly in terms of risk management and efficiency gains.

So what does this tell us? Namely, that – sustainability isn’t just about managing the risk of non-compliance or pushing to achieve zero waste or to improve efficiency. That’s just a starting point. As Santiago Gowland, vice president of brand and global corporate responsibility at Unilever puts it, “The only way to continue growing and to continue being a successful business is to treat sustainability as a key business lever in the same way that you treat marketing, finance, culture, HR, or supply chain.”

Other key findings of the study include:

• Sustainability spending has survived the downturn, with almost 60% of companies saying that their investments increased in 2010

• Companies across all industries agree that acting on sustainability is essential to remaining competitive

• The sustainability-driven management practices of embracer companies exhibit seven shared traits that together suggest how sustainability may alter management practice for all successful companies in the future

The seven shared traits of top performing, sustainability-driven “embracer companies” include:

1. Move early – even if the information is incomplete.
2. Balance broad, long term vision with projects offering concrete, near term “wins.”
3. Drive sustainability top-down and bottom-up.
4. Aggressively de-silo sustainability – integrating throughout company operations.
5. Measure everything.
6. Value intangible benefits seriously.
7. Try to be authentic and transparent – internally and externally.

To learn more, or to download a copy of the full report, see “Sustainability: The “Embracers Seize Advantage.” It’s a compelling report, one well worth reading.

Of course, as many of you already know, we’re working on some sustainability research of our own – related specifically to sustainable product design and manufacturing. And we’re anxious to learn more about the ways in which your organization is -- or isn't -- experiencing the benefits of being "sustainability-driven," so – please consider this your invitation to participate in our study. You’ll be eligible to receive a FREE copy of the research findings.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research report, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

Do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

“Sustainability: The “Embracers Seize Advantage”

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)