Research: Indicators of sustainable production: framework and methodology
May 7, 2009 by Brian Butler | Filed under: Sustainability Metrics [4]
Vesela Veleva and Michael Ellenbecker. “Indicators of sustainable production: framework and methodology”. Journal of Cleaner Production 9 (2001) 519–549.
This paper presents a new tool for promoting business sustainability — indicators of sustainable production. It first introduces the concept of sustainable production as defined by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Indicators of sustainable production are discussed next, including their dimensions and desirable qualities. Based on the Lowell Center Indicator Framework, the authors suggest a new methodology of core and supplemental indicators for raising companies’ awareness and measuring their progress toward sustainable production systems. Twenty-two core indicators are proposed and a detailed guidance for their application is included. An eight-step model provides a context for indicator implementation. The paper concludes with a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology as well as recommendations for testing the
indicators. 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.