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circular economy Trends & Technology

Implementation of digital technologies for a circular economy and sustainability management in the manufacturing sector

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circular economy Trends & Technology

How companies benefit from circular economy

Converting a company to a circular economy is an important step but many business leaders aren't sure what the consequences will be. This article...

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circular economy Trends & Technology

Implementation of circular economy strategies in product development

Considering aspects of the circular economy right from the product design stage is the most effective approach a company can take to improve the...

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News & Updates

How new policies worldwide advance the Circular Economy

The growing importance of the circular economy and circular business models manifests itself in policies and regulations designed to advance the...

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carbon neutrality carbon footprint automotive circular economy carbon neutral Challenges amazon apple

How the automotive & electronics industry transitions towards the Circular Economy

In addition to activities of legislative bodies, industry itself has set out on a path towards circular economy, sometimes moving at an even faster...

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circular economy Trends & Technology

Implementation of digital technologies for a circular economy and sustainability management in the manufacturing sector

Implementation of digital technologies for a circular economy and sustainability management in the...

circular economy Trends & Technology

How companies benefit from circular economy

Converting a company to a circular economy is an important step but many business leaders aren't...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Implementation of circular economy strategies in product development

Considering aspects of the circular economy right from the product design stage is the most...

News & Updates

How new policies worldwide advance the Circular Economy

The growing importance of the circular economy and circular business models manifests itself in...

carbon neutrality carbon footprint automotive circular economy carbon neutral Challenges amazon apple

How the automotive & electronics industry transitions towards the Circular Economy

In addition to activities of legislative bodies, industry itself has set out on a path towards...

Challenges

Drive business value by data analysis – iPoint CARE

Data analysis for product compliance and sustainability, like Life Cycle Assessment or Product...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Digital Product Passports: Pioneers for Sustainable Economy

Whether climate protection, circular economy, or resource efficiency, without transparent value and...

blockchain Big Data circular economy Trends & Technology Christian-Doppler-Laboratory AI

Digital technologies for sustainable product management in a circular economy

The increased use of digital technologies is considered as a key enabler for a more sustainable and...

circular economy Trends & Technology Christian-Doppler-Laboratory

Digital battery passports to enable circular battery ecosystems in Europe

The industry driven debate on digital battery passports as enablers of a circular economy has...

circular economy Trends & Technology

The Digital Product Passport – a prerequisite for a Circular Economy

The concept of the circular economy is gaining more and more prominence on the agendas of...

Challenges

Collect Data for Compliance and Sustainability – iPoint CARE

Data collection is the first step on the road to successful product compliance and sustainability...

BASF carbon footprint Products & Solutions

iPoint and BASF collaborate on Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) calculation

iPoint and BASF are collaborating on the topic of carbon footprint to drive the standardized...

Trends & Technology

Sustainability and Compliance Trends Study

The world’s largest sustainability and compliance trends survey entered its fourth round, with over...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Sustainable Product Development in a Circular Economy

The concept of circular economy is of great interest to companies since it provides a framework to...

automotive Products & Solutions

New SCIP reporting obligations in the Automotive Industry

With SCIP database being open to submission for one year now and data finally being disseminated...

Products & Solutions

German Government clarifies – SCIP Database has to be used to fulfil reporting obligation

The obligation for EU based entities to report data on SVHC containing products to the SCIP...

blockchain Trends & Technology

Using blockchain to achieve the SDGs and solve social challenges

Insights into the INATBA Blockchain for Social Impact Report

Products & Solutions

SCIP Dissemination Portal now live

Ever since January 2021, when the reporting of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in articles...

News & Updates

The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation: A Spotlight on Finance

A conversation between Joerg Walden of iPoint and Juan Ibañez and Dr. Chris Bayer of Development...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Circular Economy Implementation in Businesses – Cross-sectoral findings

by Lukas Stumpf, Josef-Peter Schöggl, Rupert J. Baumgartner

automotive Trends & Technology

Sustainability and Compliance Trends 2020 With a Focus on the Automotive Industry

The pandemic crisis heavily influenced the year 2020, which likely also impacted iPoint’s Trends...

News & Updates

Sustainability Reporting Directive

A conversation between Joerg Walden of iPoint and Juan Ibañez and Dr. Chris Bayer of Development...

Products & Solutions

Discover the iPoint Suite

The iPoint Suite offers solutions for the entire product life cycle – from design to production and...

News & Updates

Meeting SCIP Reporting Requirements in the Electronics Industry

Since 2003, the electronics industry sector has gained experience reporting RoHS (Restriction on...

Products & Solutions

4 Months of SCIP reporting obligation – what are the experiences so far?

The obligation to report products that are put on the EU market and contain of SVHCs (Substances of...

best practice Products & Solutions

Case Study: MFCA in Industrial Filter Production – Reducing the Use of Resources in Textile Filter Systems

ifu Hamburg GmbH, member of iPoint Group, HTW Berlin and UKOM jointly supported SMEs in using the ...

News & Updates

Leveling the Pitch: Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Legislation in the EU

In March 2021, the European Parliament adopted the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) report on...

News & Updates

Sorgfaltspflicht in der Lieferkette auch in Deutschland: Die bevorstehende Gesetzgebung

Anfang März haben deutsche Ministerien den Regierungsentwurf eines Sorgfaltspflichtengesetzes (aka...

News & Updates

Duty of Care Also in Germany: The Impending Mandatory Due Diligence Legislation

At the beginning of March, German ministries published the government draft of a mandatory supply...

Trends & Technology

How sustainable is the Circular Economy?

Josef-Peter Schöggl, Lukas Stumpf, Rupert J. Baumgartner

Products & Solutions

SCIP Database Connector successfully used by our customers

Our software solution is already successfully used by our customers from various industries e.g....

Products & Solutions

SCIP Database – iPoint Compliance automates the exchange of information

>Free Demo Video – SCIP Database Connector Watch the video to hear about the latest updates on ECHA...

News & Updates carbon footprint

New CO2-pricing in Germany – Significance and consequences for your company

While one could firstly assume that this new CO2-pricing law will only affect one’s Scope 1...

blockchain circular economy Trends & Technology

Carbon transparency – an opportunity for companies and the environment

Goals and benefits of carbon transparency The transparency of carbon emissions and the climate...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Maximizing Products’ Sustainability Performance and Circularity with Digitalization – Update on Research Activities

Anything but a standstill is currently happening in the Christian Doppler Laboratory for...

Products & Solutions

EU Commission not empowered to postpone SCIP

On September 21, 2020, 40 EU and non-EU industry associations asked the European Commission to...

News & Updates circular economy

The Green Deal and the Circular Economy

Zero greenhouse gas emissions until 2050 The European Green Deal Communication (COM(2019) 640...

Products & Solutions

SCIP Database Connector Enterprise & Professional released

Hear about the latest updates on ECHA SCIP database and see a live demo of the officially released...

Trends & Technology

Digitalization and collaboration – A look into the Future

More than 65% of consumers are worried about climate change, and take social and environmental...

Trends & Technology

I care, you care, we care: The iPoint CARE principle

Many of our customers say that we’ve simplified the complex processes of digitalizing the...

Products & Solutions

New IUCLID version by ECHA

ECHA will release the new version of IUCLID (https://iuclid6.echa.europa.eu/) on October 28th. With...

Products & Solutions

SCIP reporting using IMDS system vs. iPoint SCIP connector

We are all aware that SCIP reporting requires a considerable effort for almost all affected...

Trends & Technology

From Compliance to Sustainability – The iPoint Suite

iPoint’s software covers a lot of ground. In combination, our software products provide a broad...

Big Data circular economy Trends & Technology

Data – the raw material required for good decision making in the transition to a Circular Economy

Properly utilized data is a valuable resource. In our increasingly digital world, most efficiency...

Trends & Technology

Expanding compliance processes and tools to better manage sustainability

Many companies voluntarily go beyond regulatory requirements, setting higher expectations and...

blockchain Trends & Technology

Blockchain for Sustainability & Social Impact: Help Us Map the Ecosystem!

In the past few years, we’ve seen a plethora of projects and initiatives emerge, focusing on...

Trends & Technology

End-to-end material lifecycle management is key

When it comes to materials in products, what we call “end of life” is also the “beginning-of-life”....

News & Updates Brexit

How does Brexit affect you?

The planned transitional period will run until 31 December 2020. After the end of the transition...

Trends & Technology

From compliance to sustainability: a natural path to managing material lifecycles

Meeting all local and global regulatory requirements is a must for all companies doing business in...

Trends & Technology

The current state of material compliance management

Materials and substances used in manufacturing plants need to comply with health, safety, and...

Trends & Technology

We are living in a material world

Materials and substances are the fundamental building blocks required to produce bigger components,...

Products & Solutions

SCIP database to be launched in late October – no indication that deadline in January 2021 will be postponed

The European Chemical Agency ECHA informed that during the last week of October, the SCIP database...

Products & Solutions

Cobalt unmasked – Is cobalt really a sustainable option?

In recent years, the demand for cobalt has steadily increased with the development of the electric...

News & Updates

Mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence in Europe: Coming to a Country Near You

The European Union plans to introduce legislation requiring companies to undertake human rights and...

News & Updates

Increasing material profitability with MFCA in low-loss production

ifu Hamburg, Member of iPoint Group, and Umwelttechnik BW (State Agency for Environmental...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Maximizing Products’ Sustainability Performance and Circularity with Digitalization – Part 3/3

Continuous meetings with the (industry) partners of the CD-Lab are key to fostering knowledge and...

Products & Solutions

SCIP FAQ: The Echa SCIP Database

Update 2021: We have update the FAQ – check out what’s new Our SCIP FAQ document provides a summary...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Maximizing Products’ Sustainability Performance and Circularity with Digitalization – Part 2/3

The Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable Product Management is a 7-year project with a...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Maximizing Products’ Sustainability Performance and Circularity with Digitalization – Part 1/3

To support the ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan adopted by the European Union, the...

News & Updates

ECHA Updates SVHC Candidate List: 4 New Substances

On June 25, ECHA added four new candidates to the list of substances of very high concern....

News & Updates

CMRT 6.01 & CRT 2.11 Available and Active on iPoint Conflict Minerals

On May 19, 2020, CMRT 6.01 and CRT 2.11 were released and made available for download. As of June...

Products & Solutions

Sneak Peek at iPoint’s SCIP Connector

See a live demo of the iPoint Compliance SCIP Connector that automates the creation of SCIP...

automotive Challenges

Compliance Reporting for Electronics – new challenges driven by the Automotive industry and the EU SCIP database

Chemical compliance reporting for electronics or products with electronics in them involves...

News & Updates

Interview mit “Deutschlands nachhaltigstem Großunternehmen 2020”

Christian Ziegler, Nachhaltigkeitsmanager bei fischer Christian Ziegler ist seit mehr als fünf...

News & Updates

The new EU Regulation of Medical Devices – MDR

Is your company and your supply chain ready to tackle the new EU MDR requirements? Get prepared for...

automotive Challenges

How The Automotive Sector Can Do MedTech

Due to COVID-19, protective masks and respiratory equipment are in high demand. iPoint Compliance...

Products & Solutions

ECHA drops one mandatory field for SCIP database reporting

During the last SCIP database workshop on March 17th, 2020, ECHA indicated a change to the...

Products & Solutions

SCIP database alpha testing and RoHS (2011/65/EU)

In our webinar “How to get ready for ECHA’s SCIP database“ we were excited to be able to give you...

News & Updates

Homeland Security and Your Supply Chain

The US Dept. of Homeland Security is committed to enforcing anti-human trafficking and forced labor...

Products & Solutions

SCIP Database test version available

On Monday, February 17th, 2020, the long-awaited release of the test version of SCIP database –...

News & Updates

Are menstrual cups a “green lie”?

An LCA comparing menstrual cups and tampons shows that products advertised as particularly...

Trends & Technology

Can Digitalization help to save costs related to Sustainability & Compliance?

The Sustainability and Compliance Trends Survey 2019 is one of the largest global surveys on...

Trends & Technology

The Cost of Compliance & Sustainability – How companies’ spending evolved in 2019

The Sustainability and Compliance Trends Survey 2019 is one of the largest global surveys on...

Trends & Technology

Compliance or Sustainability – What is more important for businesses?

After our successful survey 2018 with more than 450 participants, we decided to carry on with our...

Products & Solutions

First glimpse at the SCIP database

During last week’s ECHA IT working group meeting iPoint’s experts had the chance to get a first...

Big Data circular economy Challenges

How sustainable is a service or a product? Digitalization, IoT and Big Data are providing new possibilities for research

How sustainable is a service or a product? This question is becoming more and more important in...

Trends & Technology

The Global Medical Device Industry – a spotlight on India and China

Japan has one of the highest geriatric populations in the world and because of that they have a...

Trends & Technology

Medical Device Industry – Trends in 2020

Several global companies from the Medical Device industry like Becton Dickinson, Roche, Emerson...

News & Updates

Neue CO2-Bepreisung in Deutschland – Bedeutung und Konsequenzen für Ihr Unternehmen

Während man zunächst annehmen könnte, dass diese neue CO₂-Bepreisung nur die eigenen...

Products & Solutions

Results from the ECHA workshops and new SCIP website launched

Since our last update on the SCIP database, work has progressed further. Not only have we...

Products & Solutions

Going Beyond IMDS with iPoint Approval

The race to introduce a product to the market is a fierce one; where companies are constantly...

Products & Solutions

How to provide Life Cycle Information for non-LCA experts

Thanks to automatization and data interfacing, LCA is becoming accessible to any role in an...

News & Updates

Conflict Minerals – Cobalt, EU-3TG and Sanctioned Entities

Why you should establish proactive business practices to manage the shift from conflict minerals...

blockchain Trends & Technology

Enterprise Blockchain 2028

Gartner: Corporate Blockchain Won’t Take Off for Another Decade Hype comes with a placebo effect,...

Products & Solutions

How Toyota North America ensures the compliance of its products

When Toyota North America decided for iPoint Compliance as the leading solution to manage all their...

Products & Solutions

iPoint participates in ECHA’s SCIP Database Kick-off meeting

Last week saw the kick-off meeting for stakeholders of the SCIP database held by the European...

News & Updates

How to collect information from your supply chain – Where an industry standard does not exist!

When it comes to collecting information from your supply chain, having certain industry standards,...

Products & Solutions

Why we built the iPoint Suite

In iPoint’s software solutions, the CARE principle forms the foundation. All our software solutions...

Challenges

Why we CARE – and YOU CARE ALREADY

Since 2001 customers, ranging from SMEs to Fortune 500 companies, have been using our software...

Challenges

How to answer the three fundamental questions and evolve your business

It’s obvious that companies need transparency for good decision-making and any management of...

Challenges

How digitalization and knowledge creates transparency for businesses

We believe in continuous progression with technology. This can be accomplished by making complexity...

Challenges

Why increasing market dynamics lead to complexity

Today’s companies face high pressure by investors to improve revenue, by regulations to abide by...

carbon footprinting News & Updates

Is e-mobility a truly sustainable solution?

E-mobility is a hotly debated issue right now, both in scientific circles and in the media. Some...

Products & Solutions

Identify risks and achieve anti-human trafficking compliance with eLRT Lite

On Thursday, August 8th, eLRT Lite, a simplified version of the electronic Labour Rights Template,...

News & Updates

Do LCAs reveal green lies?

As life cycle experts know, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to either confirm or...

Products & Solutions

Cobalt Reporting via the iPoint SustainHub

Cobalt is the key element used in batteries of mobile phones, laptops, and electric vehicles and...

News & Updates

4 new substances added to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) and important changes in the near future

On July 16, 2019, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has published 4 new candidate substances....

Products & Solutions

How to increase Business Transparency by assessing compliance data – exactly where its needed

Companies currently using SAP® have a vast amount of existing data in their system that can be...

Products & Solutions

How to use Life Cycle Information to set AND reach your Sustainability Goals

Volvo Cars and iPoint systems act jointly in improving availability of and accessibility to life...

car automotive Trends & Technology

How to build a sustainable car?

What are the challenges for the implementation of Sustainable Product Development in the automotive...

News & Updates

iPoint Provides Pilot Tool For EU LIFE Project AskREACH

iPoint Compliance becomes the pilot tool for the EU Project LIFE AskREACH. In addition, iPoint...

News & Updates

Sind Menstruationstassen eine „grüne Lüge“?

Eine Ökobilanz zum Vergleich von Menstruationstassen und Tampons zeigt, dass als besonders...

Products & Solutions

How to successfully market your products worldwide – faster

To speed up the development of new products companies need to evaluate data on products, materials...

Challenges

LCA of lithium-ion batteries – there’s more to it than you think

With the use of electric vehicles on the rise, there’s a lot of buzz about how environmentally...

blockchain Trends & Technology

Achieving transparency starts with digitalization – How blockchain can deliver social, economic and environmental benefits

It is hard to argue that industrialism didn’t improve the world.

News & Updates

Discrepancy of RoHS and REACH – Compliance Changes 2019

ROHS Directive starts to restrict the Phthalates listed in ROHS Annex II. But with regard to REACH...

News & Updates

Exploring efficiency potentials in the recycling industry

Earlier this year, a team of consultants from ifu Hamburg, Member of iPoint Group, held an initial...

Trends & Technology

German Battery Forum 2019: a round-up of congress highlights

Andreas Genest from ifu Hamburg, Member of iPoint Group, attended the BatterieForum Deutschland...

News & Updates

Remarkable MFCA results in a German foundry

The German family business C&C Bark Metalldruckguss und Formenbau GmbH produces magnesium die casts...

Products & Solutions

iPoint’s systems always stay up to date with new SVHC entries

On January 15, 2019, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has published 6 new entries to the...

News & Updates

MFCA Hamburg – Resource Efficiency Flagships

How will we make Hamburg’s industry more efficient and sustainable? To answer this question, the...

blockchain Trends & Technology

How to bring transparency into the supply chain

More and more people are consuming more consciously and want to know where a product they buy comes...

News & Updates Brexit

Will there be a UK REACH?

What will be the challenges Brexit will have to your business on the products and services that you...

Challenges

The Sustainability & Compliance Trends Survey 2019

The overwhelming response on our Sustainability & Compliance Trends Survey 2018 encouraged us to...

Products & Solutions

Customized Transparency with iPCA Web

The new web-client of the iPoint Compliance Agent, iPCA Web, enables companies to advance...

Trends & Technology

Sustainability and Compliance Trends – What Kept Companies Busy in 2018?

At the beginning of 2018, iPoint started to conduct a survey on Sustainability and Compliance...

News & Updates

Envisioning a sustainable future: increasing resource efficiency through digitization

Digitalization and Industry 4.0 loom large on the horizon of manufacturing. For many companies,...

Products & Solutions

A Compliance Survey Tool that Grows with Your Supply Chain

In November 2018, iPoint launched a new compliance survey app for the SustainHub platform as a...

News & Updates

Sankey Diagram: Tasty Christmas Special

If you wish to delight all of your colleagues with a tasty christmas present, here is a simple...

News & Updates

Material Flow Cost Accounting for strategic business decisions

Material Flow Cost Accounting, or MFCA, is most widely known as an instrument used by manufacturing...

News & Updates

Chocolate efficiently produced: Energy management at Ritter Sport

Ritter Sport, the well-known German producer of chocolate bars in the distinctive, square package,...

Products & Solutions

SustainHub Roadmap 2019

Free Webinar: Innovative insights and an exclusive outlook on the SustainHub Join Sebastian...

Products & Solutions

France’s Due Diligence Law – Loi sur le devoir de vigilance

On April 24, 2013, more than 1,000 people in Bangladesh lost their lives when the textiles factory...

carbon footprinting News & Updates

Sankey Skyscraping – Visualizing the huge energy demand in cement production

Trends & Technology

Smart Microorganisms at Work: Turning Waste into Bioplastic

How a waste product like pentose wood sugars is transformed into bioplastic and can be used as a...

Trends & Technology

Blockchain for Circular Supply Chain

Blockchain technology enables us to digitize and streamline the supply chain workflows to improve...

Brexit Challenges

Are you ready for Brexit? Check your Brexit-Readiness

On March 29th 2017, the United Kingdom notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw...

Challenges

Together, we bring fw: transparency

At iPoint, we bring fw: transparency and places it at the forefront of everything that we do.

News & Updates

New standard ISO 50001 for energy management places increased demands on companies

Recertification of an energy management system according to ISO 50001 has become more demanding –...

News & Updates

Lids against Polio

Poliomyelitis, more commonly referred to as polio, is an illness that has been almost completely...

News & Updates

fw: transparency 2019 – Save the date!

Under the slogan: “Latest Trends in Product Compliance and Sustainability – Integration as a Key to...

News & Updates

Life Cycle Impact Assessment – which are the LCIA indicator sets most widely used by practitioners?

Whenever someone starts his or her first LCA study, one of the questions to be answered is, which...

Challenges

Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery – how to mitigate financial and reputational risk

According the latest Global Slavery Index (GSI), released in July 2018, it can be estimated that...

News & Updates

The new California Proposition 65 Warning Regulations

The California Proposition 65 is a California Law that came into effect in 1986.

Products & Solutions

A Sankey Diagram Says More Than 1.000 Pie Charts

What are Sankey diagrams? Engineers and environmental scientists will be able to answer this...

Products & Solutions

Facing the regulatory challenges of the aftermarket

OEMs and their suppliers are facing multiple regulatory challenges when it comes to the so called...

Challenges

“Let’s stop re-inventing the wheel with everybody starting from the scratch when creating a material and energy flow model!”

Do you still rerecord, what you thought and expected when you started with your first flow model of...

Challenges

Ökobilanz von Lithium-Ionen-Batterien – komplexer als man denkt

Mit dem zunehmenden Einsatz von Elektrofahrzeugen gibt es viel Wirbel um ihre...

News & Updates Abfallwirtschaft

Effizienzpotenziale erschließen in der Recyclingbranche

Anfang des Jahres begleitete ein Expertenteam der ifu Hamburg GmbH, Member of iPoint Group, einen...

Trends & Technology

Kongress-Highlights des BatterieForum Deutschland

Andreas Genest von ifu Hamburg, Member of iPoint Group, nahm vom 23. bis 25. Januar am...

News & Updates

Keiner im Betrieb hätte das gedacht: Bemerkenswerte MFCA-Ergebnisse bei C&C Bark

Das Familienunternehmen C & C Bark Metalldruckguss und Formenbau GmbH stellt Magnesiumdruckgüsse...

News & Updates

MFCA-Hamburg – Leuchttürme der Ressourceneffizienz

Wie machen wir die Hamburger Industrie effizienter und nachhaltiger? Um dieser Frage zu begegnen,...

News & Updates

Eine nachhaltige Zukunft im Visier: Ressourceneffizienz steigern durch Digitalisierung

Digitalisierung und Industrie 4.0 stehen in der produzierenden Industrie hoch im Kurs. Für viele...

News & Updates

Materialflusskostenrechnung für strategische Entscheidungen

Die Materialflusskostenrechnung, kurz MFCA, ist bekannt als ein Ansatz, der von produzierenden...

News & Updates

Quadratisch. Praktisch. Effizient. – Energiemanagement bei Ritter Sport

Ritter Sport, der bekannte deutsche Hersteller von Schokoriegeln in der „quadratisch, praktisch,...

carbon footprinting News & Updates

Sankey Skyscraping – Visualisierung des enormen Energiebedarfs der Zementproduktion

Welches Produkt wird weltweit am meisten produziert – Stahl, Zement, Kunststoff oder Papier? Hätten...

Trends & Technology

Clevere Mikroorganismen am Werk: Aus Abfall wird Biokunststoff

So genannte Biokraftstoffe der ersten Generation basieren auf Materialien wie Mais, Zuckerrohr,...

circular economy Trends & Technology

Towards a Digital Circular Economy

Take – make – use – dispose is causing increasingly scarce resources, environmental pollution and...

News & Updates

Neue Norm ISO 50001 zum Energiemanagement stellt erhöhte Anforderungen an Unternehmen

Rezertifizierung des Energiemanagementsystems nach ISO 50001 ist anspruchsvoller geworden – oder...

News & Updates

Welcome to the iPoint Blog!

We are delighted to present you with news and information on the topics and solutions of the iPoint...

News & Updates

Innovation@iPoint

The objective of innovation management is to turn great ideas into financially successful products...

Products & Solutions

Speed up your REACH Information Request Processes

The new iPoint Compliance Agent (iPCA) REACH Letter module supports you especially in fulfilling...

carbon footprint Challenges

Carbon Footprints in der Energiebranche: Experteninterview

Dr. Aleksandra Drewko ist Beraterin der EHA Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. EHA ist ein...

Challenges

Für die CO2-Bilanz von der Kostenrechnung lernen

Eine Ökobilanz oder Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ist vereinfacht ausgedrückt eine Aufgabe, die alle...

carbon footprint Challenges

Thailand‘s pioneer in reducing GHG emissions: Expert interview

I’d like to introduce you to Kularb Kimsri, Vice President at the Global Standard System Centre of...

Challenges

Twenty Years in the Making: a Review the 20th Umberto User Workshop

A 20th anniversary is often a marked event, so it was fitting that this year’s Umberto User...

Challenges

Social Life Cycle Analysis: Why Does It Lurk In the Shadow of Environmental LCA?

The term “Life Cycle Analysis” (LCA) is largely assumed to be the technique used for the assessment...

Challenges

Daten für die Ökobilanz: Kooperation entlang des Produktlebenszyklus

Wann sind Sie und Ihre Zulieferer besonders auf die Kooperation entlang des Lebenszyklus angewiesen?

Challenges

Data collection for LCAs: collaboration along the product life cycle

Gathering quality data is one of the biggest challenges in producing accurate LCAs. In an interview...

Challenges

Obtain LCA data from suppliers – Insights from a sustainability consultant

Rebecca LeBlanc is a sustainability consultant at “Strategic Sustainability Consulting” in Boston,...

Products & Solutions

Beyond the Isolated Approach: How to Better Optimise Resource Efficiency in the Chemical Industry

The importance of resource efficiency within industry has gained significant traction in recent...

Products & Solutions

How material flow cost accounting reduces food wastage

Everyone agrees that food should not be wasted. Given its huge environmental footprints and the...

Products & Solutions

Der Weg von Energie- zu Materialeffizienz – Geschäftsführer der Energy Consulting Allgäu im Interview

Wer ist Energy Consulting Allgäu?

Products & Solutions

Climate protection – cost reduction: Resource efficiency analyses in the chemical industry

Reduced energy consumption, less material usage and consequently lower production costs. These are...

Products & Solutions

Interview with Matthias Voigtmann, CEO of Energy Consulting Allgäu

Who is Energy Consulting Allgäu?

Products & Solutions

Materialflusskostenrechnung: Ressourceneffizienz leicht gemacht

Zahlreiche Unternehmen geraten zunehmend unter Druck, wenn es darum geht, die Auswirkungen ihrer...

Challenges

Product Carbon Footprints at FRoSTA: Expert interview

Urban Buschmann is Head of Sustainability and Process Development at FRoSTA, one of the biggest...

Challenges

CO2-Fußabdruck für Produkte bei der FRoSTA AG: Experteninterview

Urban Buschmann ist Leiter Nachhaltigkeit und Verfahrensentwicklung bei der FRoSTA AG, einer der...

Products & Solutions

Energieeffizienz-Netzwerke: Best Practice Beispiel

Bis zum Jahr 2020 sollen in Deutschland etwa 500 regionale und branchenspezifische...

Products & Solutions

Chancen und Herausforderungen in Energieeffizienz-Netzwerken: Experteninterview

Vera Schürmann ist geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin von Arcanum Energy. Als Dienstleister,...

Challenges

How Traditional Cost Accounting Methods Resolve Carbon Footprint Issues

Life cycle assessment (LCA), in simplified definition, is a task that uncovers all environmental...

Challenges

3 Alternative Ideas for Waste Management in Developing Countries

Unlike the global north, most developing countries have difficulties affording sophisticated...

Challenges

Companies’ Anti-Slavery Performance Improves Globally, New Report Reveals

According to a new benchmarking report, companies’ anti-slavery compliance and actions have...

Products & Solutions

New: Anti-Slavery Reporting Template eLRT

In November 2016, iPoint launched the electronic Labor Rights Template (eLRT). The free,...

News & Updates

iPoint Joins UN Global Compact

On August 7, 2017, iPoint was officially welcomed as a participant of the United Nations Global...

Challenges

The new CSR Reporting Directive of the EU

Starting with the fiscal year 2017, large listed entities with more than 500 employees will have to...

News & Updates

Innovation Awards for iPoint

In May 2017, independent research firm Verdantix recognized iPoint’s customer Emerson with an...

Trends & Technology

Digital Circular Economy – The Digital Revolution of the Circular Economy

In contrast to the linear economy (take, make, use, dispose), the circular economy approach does...

Challenges

The Life Cycle Perspective in the New ISO 14001:2015 Standard

Following publication of the environmental management standard ISO 14001:2015 on September 15,...

Challenges

France passes due diligence law

On April 24, 2013, more than 1,000 people in Bangladesh lost their lives when the textiles factory...

Products & Solutions

Material Flow Cost Accounting provides head start for SMEs

MFCA stands for Material Flow Cost Accounting and helps businesses to increase their material...

Products & Solutions

Material Flow Cost Accounting: Tips from a consultant

Hiroshi Tachikawa is the managing director at Propharm Japan. He helped numerous companies across...

Products & Solutions

Materialflusskostenrechnung am größten Textilforschungszentrum Europas

Dr. Jürgen Seibold arbeitet im Zentrum für Management Research der Deutschen Institute für Textil-...

Products & Solutions

Diese Unternehmen haben durch MFCA Ihre Materialeffizienz gesteigert

Aus internationaler Sicht hat die Materialflusskostenrechnung bisher die größte Verbreitung in...

Products & Solutions

Endlich sprechen wir über Materialeffizienz

Materialkosten machen im Durchschnitt 40-50 % der Gesamtkosten in produzierenden Unternehmen aus.

Products & Solutions

LCAs in the telecommunication sector

Andreas Kröhling, Senior Expert for Corporate Responsibility at “Deutsche Telekom AG” recommends...

Trends & Technology

Interview with “Germany’s most sustainable large-scale enterprise 2014”

Marko Schnarr works for the environmental office at Miele, the well-known manufacturer of household...

News & Updates construction industry

Inventive engineers serving the environment

Can environmentally friendly raw materials meet product specifications and be cost effective?

CO2-Fußabdruck Products & Solutions

Ökobilanzen beim größten deutschen Telekommunikationsanbieter

Andreas Kröhling, Senior Experte Corporate Responsibility bei der Deutschen Telekom AG, empfiehlt:...

News & Updates Bauwesen

Innovative Ingenieure im Dienst der Umwelt

Können umweltfreundliche Rohmaterialien die Produktanforderungen erfüllen und gleichzeitig...

Products & Solutions

“Deutschlands nachhaltigstes Großunternehmen 2014” im Interview

Marko Schnarr ist Referent für Ressourceneffizienz, Ökobilanzierung und Ökolabelling beim...

News & Updates

LCA database provider ecoinvent provides exclusive insights

The ecoinvent Centre in Switzerland and thinkstep AG based in Stuttgart, Germany offer background...

News & Updates

LCA Database provider thinkstep AG provides exclusive insights

Thinkstep AG based in Stuttgart, Germany and the ecoinvent Centre based in Switzerland offer...

Products & Solutions

Tips and expertise shared by three experienced users of LCA Databases

During the preparation of the article on LCA data and LCA databases it was a great experience to...

News & Updates

Datenbank-Anbieter thinkstep AG gibt exklusive Einblicke

Die thinkstep AG aus Stuttgart und das ecoinvent Centre in der Schweiz bieten...

News & Updates

Datenbank-Anbieter ecoinvent gibt exklusive Einblicke

Das ecoinvent Centre in der Schweiz und die thinkstep AG aus Stuttgart bieten...

Products & Solutions

Success factor for Life Cycle Assessment: data, data, data

When deciding to get started with Life Cycle Assessment you probably have come across the quote:...

Products & Solutions

Erfolgsfaktor für Ökobilanzen (Life Cycle Assessment, LCA): Daten, Daten und nochmals Daten

Wenn Sie planen, erstmals eine Ökobilanz zu erstellen, war vermutlich die folgende...

Challenges

How Much is This Really Worth; How to Monetize Environmental Impacts

Managing to engage decision-makers at all levels of a company on sustainability matters is an all...

Products & Solutions

Material Flow Cost Accounting: Resource Efficiency Made Simple

Many organisations are coming under increasing pressure to minimise the environmental impact of...

Trends & Technology

Photovoltaking the future.

You might have noticed that the world is currently undergoing an energy transition – from fossil...

Trends & Technology

Wasting food: a brief guide.

With the human population on this little planet of ours expected to grow to over 9 billion in the...

collaborative consumption bike sharing Trends & Technology

Enhancing urban mobility: Anyone for bicycle freedom?

As discussed a couple of weeks ago in this blog (here), cycling has long been understood as a...

Trends & Technology

A taste of Velo-efficiency

I once read that a human being on a bicycle is the most efficient means by which any animal has...

Trends & Technology

The TTIP: Partnership or legal straitjacket?

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership(TTIP) currently under negotiation between the US...

Challenges

Unburnable Carbon: Bill McKibben’s frightening math

An article by veteran American environmental campaigner Bill McKibben appearing in Rolling Stone a...

Products & Solutions

Open source for climate innovation

Nobody is likely to argue with the claim that innovation is at the root of human prosperity. So it...

China circular economy Products & Solutions

Resource Efficiency III: The Quarry and the Factory

One of the more frustrating aspects of research is when the data will not conform to ones...

circular economy Products & Solutions

Resource efficiency II: Offshoring resource consumption

Last year the Economist magazine claimed that “While America and Europe are cutting their emissions...

circular economy Products & Solutions

Resource Efficiency: Measuring and Managing Metabolism

Last week’s offering from this blog flew under the banner of “The Circular Economy” – a concept so...

collaborative consumption circular economy Trends & Technology

The Circular Economy: Another ‘Industrial Revolution’?

The big boys who meet at the annual World Economic Forum at Davos aren’t really into warm fuzzy...

construction industry Products & Solutions building standards BREEAM

The greening of construction (Part III): Buildings Ratings tools in international context

In the first article in this series a couple of weeks ago, I suggested that the trend towards...

construction industry Products & Solutions

The greening of construction (Part II): International development of EPDs

Unless you have been living under a rock, or on the wrong side of the digital divide in a slum, you...

construction industry Products & Solutions

The greening of construction (Part I): Overview

In recent years humankind reached a significant milestone when we became a predominantly urban...

Trends & Technology

From footprints to handprints: clutching at straws?

A couple of years ago TIME magazine rated Handprints among the “10 ideas that are changing your...

Challenges

A New Development Paradigm?

‘Development’ might be a fuzzy concept, but it is essentially concerned with fostering conditions...

Trends & Technology

How fashionable is industrial ecology?

Once a year, selected master’s degree students from some of the world’s leading design schools –...

Trends & Technology

A Disruptive EU? : Environmental Technology Verification Comes to Europe

An innovation with a proven track record is hardly an innovation.

Trends & Technology

Product environmental footprinting: Harmonization or proliferation of standards?

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a means of determining the environmental impact of a product,...

Products & Solutions

How to dismantle the resource efficiency black box in chemical industries

“From Sustainability Reporting to Sustainability Management Control” is the title of the 17th...

Challenges

26 Life-Cycle-Based Business Strategies that Matter

We’ve all heard of the sharing economy. We’re all aware of the need for double decoupling. We all...

cargo shipping carbon footprint Products & Solutions

Beyond Heavy Oil – 8 Future-Proof Cargo Vessel Technologies

Think global, buy local? The idea of limiting one’s personal consumption to national, regional or...

blogs Trends & Technology

Chance or Catastrophe? Towards a Constructive Media Coverage of Climate Change

Instead of using the opportunity to promote a low-carbon society, media reports of global warming...

Products & Solutions

Making an LCA in 1 Hour – How to Get Going with Umberto

SimaPro and GaBi are the most commonly used software tools to conduct a professional life cycle...

acidification carbon footprint Challenges

The Cow, Black Sheep of Our Climate

Right after driving, flying, heating, and cooling, consuming meat and dairy products weighs the...

Challenges

Sustainability Triangle? One Pillar Missing!

There is a significant growing concern in several arenas that the three-pillar model of...

Products & Solutions

Efficiency 2.0 – How to Reveal Hidden Savings Potential with Integrated Energy Management

Adjust all the details, but don’t forget the big picture. That’s the best conclusion you can draw...

Products & Solutions

From Data to Knowledge: The Power of Elegant Sankey Diagrams

Industry defines the structure of our economy, of our work environment, of our personal mobility,...

carbon footprint Products & Solutions

Top-Notch Sustainability Practitioner Gathering: Umberto User Workshop in Essen, Sept 11/12, 2013

When the only way to implement a satisfactory future in human development is holistic thinking...

Challenges

Turning World War II History into a Renewable Present – 3 Striking Sustainable Adaptations from IBA Hamburg

Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest city, saw more than half its building stock destroyed during...

carbon-neutral travel Trends & Technology

Long-Distance, Low-Impact? Inside Cargo Ship Travelling

As I sail through the English Channel and complete my last miles around the world on a reefer...

Products & Solutions 3D printing

First LCA on 3D Printer Sustainability: Green Manufacturing Revolution or Overrated Gadget?

Rapid prototyping, also called 3D printing, is the name of a much praised technological innovation...

building sector carbon intensity Trends & Technology

How to Get Maximum Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Emerging Economies, Part II: India, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea

Last week, I critically reviewed the term emerging economy and concluded that, given the lack of an...

China building sector carbon intensity Challenges Brazil

How to Get Maximum Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Emerging Economies, Part I: Brazil and China

Over the course of the last two decades, most people have realized that in a rapidly changing...

Products & Solutions

5 Steps towards Maximum Resource Efficiency Part 2: Material Flow Modeling, MFCA and LCA Made Easy

Last week, I introduced you to the first three steps small and medium-sized companies need to take...

Challenges

5 Steps towards Maximum Resource Efficiency: Material Flow Modeling Made Easy

When calculating and reducing business-related environmental effects, two different approaches are...

carbon footprinting building sector Trends & Technology building standards

A Truly Green Building Sector? Sustainable Housing Challenges in Northern Europe

Throughout its lifespan, a building affects the environment in a multitude of ways. How our house...

Trends & Technology Challenges

5 Clear-Cut Economic Benefits of Sustainability Reporting

Business is not responsible for society. Business is society. Entrepreneur, manager, employee,...

Challenges

How to Recycle Phosphorus, the Most Least-Known Scarce Resource

Picking up on “sustainable agriculture”, most people think of free range chicken. They imagine...

Products & Solutions

ISO 14051-Based Material Flow Cost Accounting in a Nutshell

The ISO 14000 series has proved to be handy for quite a while now. Companies and public...

Trends & Technology

Who’s Happier – The Proactive Lohas or the Spontaneous Hedonist?

The perception that pro-environmental behaviour has negative effects on well-being has made it...

China Trends & Technology

The Truth About the Dragon: China’s Future is Inevitably Green

What if every person in India drove a car? What if all Chinese were to live in their own 3-bedroom...

Products & Solutions

Discovering All Environmental Effects: How Life Cycle Assessment with LCA Software Works

Environmental effects are extremely complex, that’s why they’re impossible to measure, so let’s not...

carbon emissions Products & Solutions

Cutting GHG Emissions of Industrial Parks by 35% through Corporate Collaboration

Buy local, drive less, switch to renewable energy – these are just a few of the omnipresent...

Products & Solutions

How to Invent the Right Institution to Cut Resource Conflicts

Can you resist the impetus coming from a 234 page report that has the promising title “Resource...

Products & Solutions

From Green to Blue to Gray to Black: The Chromatics of Water Footprints

Because water is the most vital element for life, many contemporary intellectuals expect it to be...

China atmospheric carbon measurement Challenges

Kyoto’s CO2-Baseline Wrong by 7% – But Today’s GHG Inventories Aren’t All That Bad

Regardless of how China is perceived in the west, in the medium term, the world’s most ambitious...

Challenges

When Oil Majors Embrace Material Flow Analysis, New Hope for a Sustainable 21st Century Arises

There are manifold approaches to close the apparent gap between a shrinking resource base on the...

News & Updates

337 Opinions on the Most Resource-Efficient Policy Instruments to Embed Ecodesign

Quite a few of the European Commission’s 23,000 civil servants devote themselves to the...

Products & Solutions

How Sustainable are Europe’s 5 Million E-Cars in 2020? New LCA Guidelines Help the Assessing

Challenges

67 Quick-Payoff Measures to Reduce Urban Carbon Emissions

Transforming the energy supply from fossil to renewable sources is a goal that makes sense, but...

cogeneration Trends & Technology

100% Renewables? How Germany’s Energy Transition Is Taking Shape

What happens when an entire country decides to phase out nuclear and fossil energy? When this...

Products & Solutions

Holistic Sustainability Measurement: The Composite 3-Pillar-Index

By the end of the 20th century, a deep conceptual gap had evolved between a destructive economy...

business opportunity Trends & Technology

Green Jobs, 80% Renewables in 2020, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Brief season’s greetings from knowtheflow, with a thought that I was delighted to discover in the ...

Trends & Technology

10 Appropriate Indicators to Measure Green Growth in Industry

Green Growth, Sustainable Growth, Green Economy – All of these concepts require decoupling. A...

Trends & Technology

The Outweighed Efficiency Gain – 13 Rebound Effects in Detail

According to Tilman Santarius, one essential concept is missing in all the scenarios that lead...

Trends & Technology

19 Industry Reports – How Global Compact Promotes Efficiency

Energy costs are on the rise. Their increase is so steady that now even the United Nations has...

academia Challenges

Do Universities Practice What They Preach? On Academic Sustainability

As I wrote in my articles on the future-proof Bachelor and verbiage-free Masters in sustainability,...

BMBF Products & Solutions

31 Innovations for Maximum Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing

The amount of manufacturing in Germany is vast. To guarantee survival in the global rotation of who...

antarctic ozone hole CFC Challenges

4 Pressing Questions on the Ozone Hole Recovery

Two months ago, newspapers around the world happily reproduced a news headline from Reuters – the...

Products & Solutions

Burn or Bury? Analyzing Waste Management Options in Detail

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – the waste imperative is as clear as it can get. What’s less clear,...

books Trends & Technology

5-Fold Increase in Efficiency – Not Delusional at All

Some of my recent articles have circled around an apparent antagonism between different schools of...

Challenges

“A Balanced Mix of Technologies and Strategies” – The Sustainable Path is a Multi-Lane Highway

When it comes to discussing ways to limit human influence on global warming, the most popular...

China carbon relocation Trends & Technology

Why Environmental Regulation Is Not Scaring Off Industry – On Declining Evidence for Pollution Haven Theory

Some say strict environmental regulations in individual countries are useless, especially from a...

News & Updates

Europe’s 10 Most Verbiage-Free Master Programs in Sustainability

Almost all interdisciplinary study programs introduced to the teaching universe in the past 5 years...

bio-economy commons Trends & Technology

Better, Different, Less – Green Economy Revisited

“Post Growth Economy or Resource Efficiency Revolution – How Should We Face the Limits of Our...

carbon footprint Products & Solutions

Green Ocean Hunters? The Environmental Effects of Fishing and Aquaculture, Part 2

Last week, in part one of this article, we ended with the tragedy of the commons and the question...

carbon footprint Products & Solutions

Green Ocean Hunters? The Environmental Effects of Fishing and Aquaculture

Shrimp farms destroy sensitive mangrove forest ecosystems, salmon escape from designated...

carbon neutrality carbon footprint Products & Solutions

Carbon Neutral Online Shopping – How Green are Mail Order Companies?

In the last 150 years, three major trends have changed the way humanity consumes. First,...

News & Updates carbon footprint

LCA, CF, MFCA? What to Expect From Umberto User Workshop Hamburg, Sept 17/18

Sustainability and efficiency: a couple of terms that couldn’t be more misused and greenwashed. A...

carbon neutral Challenges

Why and How the Manufacturing Industry Should Go 100% Renewable Now

Renewable energy has a positive connotation in society and business, that’s for sure. The Fukushima...

carton carbon footprint Products & Solutions

What’s the Greenest 1 L Packaging? Two Powerful LCAs Give the Answer

It was a month ago when I heard the surprising news that milk packaged in cartons has the best...

aluminum Products & Solutions

6 Options to Maintain Current Lifestyles with Far Less Raw Materials: “With Both Eyes Open”

There is this old, ever repeating view of humanity as a counter-productive force when it comes to...

carbon footprint Trends & Technology

Carbon Neutral World Cup? Green Stadiums? Really?

Fancy pictures of green stadiums have been fast to hit the media since FIFA’s decision to give the...

best practice Trends & Technology

Integrated Reporting: How Business Can Transform Society through Serious Sustainability Communication

It goes without saying that providing investors and shareholders with financial performance data is...

Products & Solutions

To Recycle or Not to Recycle – PVC Cable Waste is the Question

Recycling – it’s the magic word when the ill-informed think “environmental friendliness”....

Trends & Technology

Let’s Take the Green Economy in Hand Ourselves – The Conclusion From Rio+20’s Failure

biomass Trends & Technology

Only 16.7% of Global Energy Consumption Is Renewable – Ways for Industry to Increase This Share

You know studies. You know reports. You know data collections. But you don’t know Ren21? You...

News & Updates ACHEMA

Program Highlights at ACHEMA 2012: What Not to Miss at the Green Processes Industry Conference

Green chemistry is a relatively young science in its own respect. Interest in this subject,...

Trends & Technology

More Than Ecosystem Dynamics – Understanding the Different Concepts of Resilience

There are these technical terms – complicated words with Latin origins – that experts have used for...

carbon footprint Trends & Technology

The 8 Most Specific LinkedIn Groups for Industrial Ecology

The social media marketing hype seems to be declining, whereas a seemingly infinite flood of mobile...

Trends & Technology

A Challenging Task: Promoting Energy Efficiency in Tajikistan

knowtheflow: Marjolaine, you work for the French organization GERES, which deals with promoting...

biocapacity Trends & Technology biodiversity

The Five Most Important Changes for Global Sustainability: Living Planet Report 2012

We live above our limits, the planet does not provide sufficient resources for our consumerist...

Products & Solutions

7 Measures for Efficient Climate Control on the Factory Floor

How, exactly, can a medium-sized industrial company save on energy without negatively affecting...

Trends & Technology

To Harvest Green Business, Feed Eco Incentives to the Decision Makers

Incentive-based pay isn’t new; it’s been around for centuries. Ship captains transporting...

agriculture Challenges

Environmentally Harmful Subsidies: Behind the Scenes of a $400 Billion Waste

Ever since the 1980s, during the early years of the environmental movement, there has been a call...

News & Updates

From a cup of coffee to a bowl made of coffee

Currently we are at the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial trade show. We have a booth...

Products & Solutions

Last Chance for a Powerful Shift – On Quarrels About the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive

In July 2011, knowtheflow covered the possible failure to reach the EU’s energy efficiency target....

Products & Solutions

9 Months of Certified Energy Management: ISO 50001 Starts Out

In July 2011, the promising ISO 50001 energy management standard was launched. This certificate...

Trends & Technology

The OECD Turns Green – Why Saving the Planet Pays Off

Continued degradation and erosion of natural environmental capital is expected to 2050, with the...

carbon leakage carbon reduction carbon relocation Challenges

Avoiding the Relocation of Emissions – How to Face Carbon Leakage

In the course of the last 20 years, some of the more developed countries achieved a remarkable...

carbon footprint Challenges

Why SMEs Should Foster, Not Fear the Corporate Carbon Footprint

Most firms are occupied with selling products and meeting payroll and feel they don’t have time or...

Trends & Technology Ankara

“Everybody Should do Their Share” – The Long Road to Sustainability in Turkey

knowtheflow: Prof. Dr. Inci Gökmen, you offer a course named “Sustainable Living and Green...

Trends & Technology

Post Growth Economy or Resource Efficiency Revolution – How Should We Face the Limits of Our Planet?

Economic growth is a means of producing wealth. No doubt about that. However, there are two central...

Trends & Technology

What is an Environmental Product Declaration? And What is it Good For?

When talking about product labels that deal with the environment, it is often argued that there is...

carbon footprint Products & Solutions

What is Carbon Footprinting and Why Does it Facilitate Effective Energy Management?

Costs to the environment, generated throughout your company’s production process, can be assessed...

air quality Trends & Technology

The Path to a Green Economy – Lessons From Germany

What green economy deals with is the idea of running our businesses in a sustainable way. All of...

carbon footprint Trends & Technology

What Conclusions Can We Draw From Tesco Dropping its Carbon Footprint Labeling?

A week ago, the Guardian published the news that the Tesco grocery store chain dropped its plan to...

News & Updates Bachelor program

Four Fit-For-Future Bachelor Programs in Europe

Remember the time when you struggled to find the right program of study? Or have you just finished...

carbon management Challenges

Why the Carbon Tax Makes Sense and How to Gain a Competitive Edge From it

Instead of hoping that your lobbyist negotiates another carbon tax exemption for your industry, you...

2012 apocalypse Trends & Technology

Stayin’ Alive: Survival Strategies for 2012

If you read these lines, it is more than likely you are still alive. And if you read these lines,...

Challenges

Brief theoretical guide to Sustainable Production

The Brundtland Report systematically defined the various factors related to society’s new paradigm...

carbon footprint Challenges

Getting it Straight: Exact Carbon Emissions From One Bottle of Wine

I bet you know how much carbon dioxide your car emits per kilometer. Maybe you are also well...

carbon neutrality Trends & Technology

Celebrate a Carbon Neutral Christmas!

Anyone not noticed it? Yes, of course, it is December – another annual epidemic of Christmas...

background database Challenges

ecoinvent – The Swiss Army Knife of LCA Background Databases

Background databases can be very convenient when you assess all of the impacts a product or a...

biological gas treatment Challenges

Terminating the End-of-Pipe Era by Simple Means of Process Optimization

In the course of the last three decades, more and more voices have called for cleaner industry....

BASF Trends & Technology

Material Flow Based Process Systems Engineering

I have been waiting for this for far too long, but finally it has been written and it deserves your...

Trends & Technology

Students Often Responsible for Changes

It’s international Students‘ day today.

Trends & Technology biodiversity

Encouraging Ecological Forest Management

The inventor of sustainability, says the legend, was Hans Carl von Carlowitz, a mining...

News & Updates

French Environmental Labeling – Industrial Experience Feedback

battery change station Challenges

Exploring the Environmental Effects of Electric Cars

Can you imagine the weight of 1.8 billion tonnes? I can’t. I can only try to put this number in...

3 scopes Challenges

3 Precise Perspectives on Corporate Carbon Footprints

As business consultant in the field of sustainability, I would like to share with you three...

agriculture Products & Solutions

Food Footprints: Subjective Consumer Perception vs. Profound LCA Data

Today is World Vegan Day. Vegans are people ethically very consequent. Even more consequent than...

Challenges

Ecology’s Step Child – We Need Water Footprints!

Assessing environmental effects of human activity is something we become more and more familiar...

Products & Solutions

Refining Material Flow Analysis: The Arising of Input-Output Economics

We can be proud of the great wealth of reliable, good quality data that are being produced every...

News & Updates carbon footprint

Getting started … success factors for collaboration between Universities and Corporations on sustainability projects

A typical situation: Let’s say his name is Michael, working for a medium sized production company,...

carbon footprint Trends & Technology

Carbon Neutral Cities (2) – 3 Ways to Assess a City’s Emissions

Two weeks ago, in part one of this article, we got an idea of the measures that are being taken to...

Products & Solutions

Productivity, Efficiency and Quality

Productivity is probably the main keyword in growth theory. Expressed as a mathematical function it...

Challenges

4 Alternatives to Waste Disposal – Increasing Your SMB’s Resource Efficiency

It is no secret, that the Earth’s resource base is on a declining track. In the 1970s, the Club of...

Challenges

Effectively Managing Greenhouse Gases – Worldwide

Do companies have a conscience to fight global warming and manage their greenhouse gas emissions?...

carbon neutrality carbon free city Trends & Technology carbon neutral

Carbon Neutral Cities – Where? When? How?

The city of Seattle recently announced a new goal for 2050: Achieving complete carbon neutrality....

bio capacity Trends & Technology

Celebrations, come on, let’s celebrate and have a good time. And don’t think about tomorrow…?

Do you know what day today is? Yes, it is google’s 13th birthday. But this is not what I want to...

Products & Solutions

“Just One Indicator, Please”: PUMA’s Environmental Profit and Loss Statement

Recently, the sports brand PUMA released a preliminary version of their “unprecedented” ...

carbon footprint Trends & Technology

What’s What: Understanding the ISO 14000 Family Of Standards

Back in the year 1987, the International Organization for Standardization introduced a number of...

Trends & Technology

Kuznets and Kondratieff or Tunneling through the Curve

At the LCM in Berlin I was impressed by the speech of Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker. Within his...

Trends & Technology

Social Media Users Willing to Pay More when Company is Responsible

Social media users are more ethically and environmentally aware, in relation to their pattern of...

assessment certification Challenges

Transparency and Saving Potentials

When I read about “transparency” in the context of sustainability or sustainability management the...

Challenges

Life Cycle Management 2011 – Personal Field Report

Last week I was at the LCM 2011 in Berlin – the biggest conference of its kind, with nearly 600...

biomass Trends & Technology

Biomass Lagging Behind Prospering Wind and Solar Markets

The newest Country Attractiveness Index for Renewable Energy, conducted by Ernst & Young, rates...

20-20-20 Objectives Challenges

Energy Efficiency, Policy Problem Child No.1

20% reduction of greenhouse gases until 2020 – We’re on the right track. 20% renewable energy –...

Products & Solutions

Waste Prevention vs. Recycling – Analyzing Material Flow Accounts

Why should we even bother about recycling, when we could prevent waste in the first place? Well,...

carbon footprinting News & Updates

Information and Interaction – Social Media in an “analogue way”: LCM and Umberto User Workshop in Berlin

Two important events upcoming this week: From Sunday 28th August on, the Life Cycle Management...

B2B Trends & Technology

Key Elements for your Sustainable Social Media Strategy

From a corporate perspective, the relevance of Social Media within a Sustainability Strategy has...