Measuring the sustainability of a paper mill with indicators based on environmental utility space

✍ Scribed by M. J. Knapen; L. de Bruin; J. P. R. Meijer; M. W. H. Thörig; B. J. van de Laar; A. M. J. Ragas

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 201 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0968-0802
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1719(199712)5:3<149::aid-sd76>3.0.co;2-8

✦ Synopsis

Sustainability indicators for production systems are useful tools when realizing a sustainable development. In this paper a method to measure sustainability is elaborated and tested. The method is based on the idea that ecological sustainability can be measured by comparing the environmental use of a production system with the allocated environmental utility space. The sustainability of a paper mill is measured and the results are presented. Social and scienti®c problems in measuring sustainability are identi®ed and possible solutions are suggested. The case study indicates that measuring sustainability necessitates some assumptions, and formulates an explicit vision on nature and society.