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Production Practices

Sustainable consumption is possible only in an economy and culture that provides incentives for sustainable production of goods. The phrase "sustainable production" encompasses pollution prevention, industrial ecology, and closed loop production. It also includes a host of processes that reduce resource use, eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and produce products that are durable, and that one can repair and recycle.

Participants in the small group discussion surveyed a variety of private and nonprofit initiatives promoting sustainable business practices. Some of the programs highlighted include:

• Least cost energy planning and energy conservation. Utilities are spearheading these successful efforts in partnership with groups such as the Conservation Law Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
• A Turner Foundation campaign to reduce consumption of virgin timber by promoting wood substitutes in the marketplace, and by increasing efficiency.
• A bold commitment by Patagonia, Inc., to use only organically grown cotton.
• Efforts to make Monsanto a sustainable corporation, including changes in engineering and chemical processes, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and automation.
• Efforts at Ciba-Geigy to reduce the use of dyes and produce less hazardous waste.
• Attempts to conduct lifecycle analysis - an examination of the environmental impact of any given product from the design stages through use and ultimate disposal.
• Innovative efforts by the home building industry to enhance efficiency and reduce consumption of natural resources.
• The commitment of the Sun Company to the Ceres Principles.

The group briefly discussed obstacles to change. The corporate culture's focus on quarterly performance and a shifting regulatory environment are fundamental barriers to change. Other obstacles include the difficulty in securing financing and capital for advanced technologies; the higher costs of "green" products; government inertia or opposition; weak economic incentives; and the high risks associated with change.