SERI Brownbag seminar 27.01.2004, Vienna NEDS Nachhaltige Entwicklung zwischen Durchsatz und Symbolik Sustainable Development between Throuput and Symbolism Mark Hammer SERI www.seri.at/neds www.neds-projekt.de
Overview Contents of the presentation: about the project methods case study: material flow analysis Hamburg linkage of methods and results outlook and open questions
The NEDS project Funded by SÖF social-ecologic research programme (Germany) Partners: University for Economics and Policy (HWP, Hamburg), University of Hamburg Analysing natural, economic, discursive, and spatial aspects of sustainable development Models of the economic construction of ecological reality Three European regions: Hamburg, Leipzig Vienna
Structure of the project Material perspective SD Sustainable Development Symbolic perspective Biophysics Raw materials, goods, emissions, waste Material Flow Analysis Structure Manifested in land use Geographical structural analysis Discourse Values, targets, political and scientific discourse, taboos, methods, language Discourse analysis Networks of actors, behavior Network analysis
Discourse analysis I What is a discourse? Discourse is "a specific ensemble of ideas, concepts, and categorisations that are produced, reproduced, and transformed in a particular set of practices and through which meaning is given to physical and social realities." (Hajer 1995, 44)
Discourse analysis II What is discourse analysis? set of methods adjusted to analysed question qualitative and quantitative analysis of texts getting access to actors and thematic fields content analysis of sustainability debate in scientific literature and (regional) newspapers analysis of programmatic texts (programmes, government documents, press communications)? Identification of discourse lines over time, figures, metaphors, creation of texts in the context of collective production of reality and distribution of power
Structure of the project Material perspective SD Sustainable Development Symbolic perspective Biophysics Raw materials, goods, emissions, waste Material Flow Analysis Structure Manifested in land use Geographical structural analysis Discourse Values, targets, political and scientific discourse, taboos, methods, language Discourse analysis Networks of actors, behavior Network analysis
Material flow analysis I
Material flow analysis II Domestic extraction: -fossil fuels -minerals -biomass Material accumulation (net addition to stock) Emissions Waste Unused domestic extraction Unused domestic extraction Imports Exports Indirect flows associated to imports Recycling Indirect flows associated to exports EUROSTAT (2001): Methodological guide for economy-wide MFAs
Material flows and environmental problems Basic assumption: all materials extracted or moved by humans exert pressures on the environment Many environmental problems are directly or indirectly related to the material metabolism of the economy and can be monitored with material flowbased indicators Use of fossil energy and emission of GHGs Soil degradation by resource extraction and agriculture Consequences of use of heavy metals and toxic substances Air pollution by emissions from traffic and industry Changes in land-use patterns and loss of natural and productive land areas by expansion of the technosphere
Structure of the project Material perspective SD Sustainable Development Symbolic perspective Biophysics Raw materials, goods, emissions, waste Material Flow Analysis Structure Manifested in land use Geographical structural analysis Discourse Values, targets, political and scientific discourse, taboos, methods, language Discourse analysis Networks of actors, behavior Network analysis
Structural analysis Geographical structure of the region spatial structures are result of functional relationships spatial distribution of land use patterns intraregional distribution of area as resource interpretation of land use conflicts and changes in land use area as a key indicator for SD mapping and GIS data
Structure of the project Material perspective SD Sustainable Development Symbolic perspective Biophysics Raw materials, goods, emissions, waste Material Flow Analysis Structure Manifested in land use Geographical structural analysis Discourse Values, targets, political and scientific discourse, taboos, methods, language Discourse analysis Networks of actors, behavior Network analysis
Network analysis Actors and networks identifying actors and networks specific interests and negotiation processes distribution of power
Structure of the project Material perspective SD Sustainable Development Symbolic perspective Biophysics Raw materials, goods, emissions, waste Material Flow Analysis Structure Manifested in land use Geographical structural analysis Discourse Values, targets, political and scientific discourse, taboos, methods, language Discourse analysis Networks of actors, behavior Network analysis
The city of Hamburg MFA I Material input and consumption per capita DMI/DMC per capita, Germany and Hamburg tons per capita 80,0 70,0 60,0 50,0 40,0 30,0 20,0 10,0 0,0 DMI per capita Hamburg DMC per capita Hamburg DMI per capita Germany DMC per capita Germany 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 Years
The city of Hamburg MFA II Eco-efficiency DMI/DMC per GDP, Germany and Hamburg 1000 tons per million euro 1995 1,80 1,60 1,40 1,20 1,00 0,80 0,60 0,40 0,20 0,00 DMI per GDP Hamburg DMC per GDP Hamburg DMI/GDP Germany DMC/GDP Germany 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 Years
The city of Hamburg MFA III Material categories Imports, City of Hamburg 1992-2001 140.000 120.000 Other imports 1000 tons 100.000 80.000 60.000 40.000 20.000 0 1992 1994 1996 1998 Years 2000 1000 tons Other industry products Chemical products Fossils and fossil products Exports, City of Hamburg 1992-2001 Ores and industrial minerals 100.000 Biomass and biomass products 80.000 60.000 40.000 20.000 0 1992 1994 1996 1998 Years 2000 Other exports Other industry products Chemical products Fossils and fossil products Ores and industrial minerals Biomass and biomass products
The city of Hamburg MFA IV Physical trade balance Physical Trade Balance, City of Hamburg 1992-2001 1000 tons 140.000 120.000 100.000 80.000 60.000 40.000 20.000 0 1992 1994 1996 1000 tons 20.000 1998 15.000 Years 10.000-5.000-10.000-15.000 2000 Imports Exports Physical Trade Balance Physical Trade Balance, City of Hamburg 1992-2001 5.000 0 1992 1994 1996 1998 Years 2000 Biomass and biomass products Ores and industrial minerals Fossils and fossil products Chemical products Other industry products Other imports/exports
Possible questions and answers Why is per capita material consumption in Hamburg lower than in Germany? economic structure, import of finished products instead of production, externalisation of env. effects to other regions structure of economic sectors Why is per capita material consumption in Hamburg increasing? imports increased, exports stayed constant, why?, changes in which categories, how to link them to sectors? public/private consumption, development of economic sectors Why is resource-efficiency decreasing? changes in sectors, consumed materials economic data, MFA data
Interlinkages I Material perspective SD Sustainable Development Symbolic perspective Biophysics Discourse? Structure Networks
Interlinkages II Biophysics and discourse Recognition of environmental problems Biophysics Discourse Metaphors: ozone hole, greenhouse effect, ecological rucksacks, acid rain, scarcity Terms and values: nature, animal rights, wildlife, ecosystem protection, growth, consumption, dematerialisation Change in biophysics from change in discourse: laws, regulation, discussion of efficiency Change of discourse with no link to material world Change of material world without discourse Scientific models ( spaceship earth, metabolism)
Interlinkages III Biophysics and structure Link between landuse and material flows Biophysics Structure Link to ecological footprint Economic structure generates material flows and landuse Material flows generate material flows (building maintainance) Material flows and possible landuse structure influence economic structure Universal history : Explanation of societal development from material perspective (anthropology)
Interlinkages IV Biophysics and networks Biophysics Role of actors (agriculture, industry, NGOs) Networks Development/creation of actors : environmental NGOs Natural resources (distribution, use, protection) as topic of negotiation processes Material flow as result of negotiation processes (indirect), influence and power Biophysics of networks : infrastructure, technical development, media, global village, information society
Interlinkages V Discourse and structure Discourse Concept of space ( Raum ): 2- dimensional, 3-dimensional, abstract (space in which discourse is taking place) Structure Metaphors, terms and values related to structure and landuse: clusters, locations for production and development theories, maquiladoras (export industries) Project Earth from above (www.yannarthusbertrand.com) Communication of concepts (ecological footprint vs. SPI)
Interlinkages VI Discourse and networks specific networks created upon certain topics Discourse Networks no network without discourse/communication? difference between discourse communication action network intern (specific) discourses access to / exclusion from networks via language
Interlinkages VII Structure and networks structure of networks (basic democracy, hierarchy) Structure Networks structure for networks (infrastructure, communication techniques, mobility) networks create structure
Open questions What can we learn from regional MFA? How can we link such different approaches like discourse analysis, material flow analysis, structural analyses and network analysis? What will we gain from this combination? Biophysics Discourse? Structure Networks
End of presentation Thank you! Mark Hammer (mark.hammer@seri.at) www.seri.at/neds www.neds-projekt.de