Economic Advantages of ESTs
Cost reduction and higher
profits through more effective use of
resources (raw materials, energy), lower end-of-pipe treatment
expenses, and higher market value of green products.
Opening of new
environment-conscious markets and retaining of old
Savings on charges imposed on polluters,
avoidance of risks to come under criticism of media or consumer
groups or to be shut down due to violation of increasingly
restrictive local environmental regulations.
productivity due to improved working conditions.
Opening of new opportunities (contracts, markets) due to improved
Characteristics of ESTs in
Relation to Sustainability
Social and Cultural
According to the definition by the
World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development
“should include management of the use of a resource so it can meet human
demands of the present generation without decreasing opportunities for
ESTs – a Way to Sustainable
Application of environmentally
sound technologies (ESTs) is a way to sustainable development.
“Environmentally sound” is a relative term however. Furthermore,
environmental soundness is not an attribute of technology by itself but of
technology in the particular socio-ecological context in which it is
intended to be applied.
Broadly speaking, ESTs can be
defined as technologies which protect the environment, are less polluting,
use resources in a sustainable manner, recycle more of their wastes and
products, and handle all residual wastes in a more environmentally
acceptable way than the technologies for which they are substitutes.
Chapter 34 of the Agenda 21
emphasizes that ESTs are not just “individual technologies,
but total systems which include know-how,
procedures, goods and services,
and equipment as well as organizational and managerial procedures”.
Systemic Innovation: 7 Areas
The Two Principle Groups of
ESTs could be divided into two
large groups: cleaner technologies and cleaning technologies.
Cleaner technologies are
production processes, including monitoring and control techniques, which are
less polluting, use resources (raw materials, natural resources, energy,
etc.) in a more efficient way, produce cleaner products and less harmful
residual wastes, if any.
Cleaning technologies are
processes and products developed to neutralize the environmentally harmful
effects of a given process or activity. This group includes pollution
monitoring, assessment and control technologies (e.g. air pollution control,
waste water treatment, treatment), waste treatment (e.g. solid/hazardous
waste treatment, garbage disposal/recycling), and remediation technologies
(e.g. soil/water remediation, air cleaning).
Technology Evaluation and Selection
To analyze the appropriateness of a
closed-system technology, answer the following questions:
Intensity of energy usage in the
Preferred energy forms and
combinations, i.e. steam, electric power, fuel oil, natural gas, liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) etc.
utilities required, e.g. water and air
Desired features of utilities
(pressures, temperatures) and means of obtaining them.
Interchangeability of energy forms,
and plant design in relation thereto.
Environmental consequences (air,
water and soil) of alternative fuels and the extent to which the use of a
Cleaner Product Ideas