Corporate strategy Cradle to cradle
Good idea
Future solutions must be sustainable, which is why the cradle to cradle (C2C) concept is gaining credence. Dr Matthew Hunt explains how this holistic approach can make a difference in the building sector
B
ecoming more sustainable and trying to be green is nothing new for UK companies. It is increasingly embedded in people’s daily lives, at home and at work, and we are constantly reminded of the need to reduce our impact on the environment, and to meet increasingly stringent targets to achieve this. But efficiency is not a solution in the long run.
By using less material, the point of exhaus- tion of raw materials is only delayed. For example, buildings specified to have extremely low levels of water usage are not bad – and can be highly eco-efficient. However, a build- ing where the water that flows out of it is as clean as the water that flows in, would be eco- effective. Specifying low energy building man- agement systems is admirable, but focus on efficiency – buildings with a positive energy and carbon account are effective. A radical change is still required to deliv- er such solutions for the future. A concept known as cradle to cradle (C2C) is looking to take the current delivery of sustainability to a much higher level, urging a move from eco- efficiency to eco-effectiveness. It is a holis- tic philosophy, and C2C looks for positive outcomes: rather than just being efficient or minimising negative impacts, it aspires to make industry and development ‘good’ for the environment and society, without losing sight of the ambition to make money.
Designed to guide projects and programmes from the very outset, it requires identifying all the possible positives, influencing a project’s goals and helping to define the ‘roadmap’ to achieve them.
The phrase cradle to cradle dates back to the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 2002, and the release of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and
Sustainable Business | June 2011 | 23
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