Editing Eco-efficiency (section)

==Uses==

The reduction in ecological impacts translates into an increase in [[resource productivity]], which in turn can create a [[competitive advantage]].<ref name= iisd/> According to the WBCSD, critical aspects of eco-efficiency are:<ref name= wbcsd /><ref name=hunter>Lovins, L. Hunter (2008). [http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/SOW08_chapter_3.pdf Rethinking production] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410120838/http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/SOW08_chapter_3.pdf |date=2008-04-10 }} in ''State of the World 2008'', p. 34.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Herrmann|first1=Christoph|last2=Blume|first2=Stefan|last3=Kurle|first3=Denis|last4=Schmidt|first4=Christopher|last5=Thiede|first5=Sebastian|date=2015-01-01|title=The Positive Impact Factory–Transition from Eco-efficiency to Eco–effectiveness Strategies in Manufacturing|journal=Procedia CIRP|series=The 22nd CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering|language=en|volume=29|pages=19–27|doi=10.1016/j.procir.2015.02.066|issn=2212-8271|doi-access=free}}</ref>
* A reduction in the material intensity of goods or services;
* A reduction in the [[energy intensity]] of goods or services;
* Reduced dispersion of toxic materials;
* Improved [[recyclability]];
* Maximum use of renewable resources;
* Greater [[durable goods|durability]] of products;
* Increased service intensity of goods and services.
Strategies that have been linked to eco-efficiency include "Factor 4" and "[[Factor 10]]", which call for specific reductions in resource use,  "natural capitalism", which incorporates eco-efficiency as part of a broader strategy, and the "[[cradle-to-cradle]]" movement, which claims to go beyond eco-efficiency in abolishing the very idea of waste. According to Boulanger,<ref>http://sapiens.revues.org/index1022.html Boulanger, P.M. (2010) "Three strategies for sustainable consumption". ''S.A.P.I.EN.S.'' '''3''' (2)</ref> all versions of eco-efficiency share four key characteristics:
* Confidence in [[technological innovation]] as the main solution to un-sustainability;
* Reliance on business as the principal [[Actor–network theory|actor]] of transformation. The emphasis is on firms designing new products, shifting to new production processes, and investing in R&D, etc., more than on the retailer or the consumer, let alone the citizen.
* Trust in [[Market economy|markets]] (if they are functioning well);
* "Growthphilia": the idea that there is nothing wrong with [[economic growth|growth]] as such.

The view that improvements in eco-efficiency are sufficient for achieving sustainability has been challenged by Huesemann and Huesemann,<ref>Huesemann, M.H., and J.A. Huesemann (2011). [http://www.newtechnologyandsociety.org ''Technofix: Why Technology Won't Save Us or the Environment''], Chapter 5, "In Search of Solutions II: Efficiency Improvements", New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, Canada.</ref> who demonstrate using extensive historical evidence that increases in technological efficiency have not reduced overall resource use and pollution. Moreover, with "cradle-to-cradle", growth is conducive to sustainability ''per se''. This broader concept is called ''Sustainable Production and Consumption'' (SPC). "This concept involves changes in production and consumption patterns that lead to sustainable use of [[natural resources]];" <ref name= iisd /> business has taken a key role in accelerating the use of this concept because businesses both consume and produce. Eco-efficiency is routinely a concept used because it combines performance along two of the three axes of [[sustainable development]],<ref name= ehren /> making it easier for academics and leading thinkers to tease out the associated social issues.<ref name= wbcsd />

===Examples===
Furthermore, eco-efficiency can adapt and flex to be fit different sizes of companies, while also maintaining relevance with the larger scale of government and national policies.<ref name= wbcsd /> For example, larger national players such as the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD 2002),  [[European Commission]] (EU 2005), [[European Environment Agency]] (EEA) and the [[National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy]] (NRTEE) have all recognized that eco-efficiency is a practical approach that businesses should adopt in setting and achieving their environmental performance objectives.<ref name= yadong /><ref name= wbcsd /><ref name= iisd /><ref name= baker/><ref name=nrtee>Government of Canada. (2011, October 06). Eco-efficiency. Retrieved from {{cite web |url=http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ee-ee.nsf/eng/h_ef00010.html |title=What is Eco-efficiency? - Eco-efficiency |access-date=2013-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206125255/http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ee-ee.nsf/eng/h_ef00010.html |archive-date=2013-02-06 }}</ref> It has been proven to heighten market values for firms,<ref name= guns /><ref name= accounting/> serve as an effective management tool for governments, benefit civil society, and increase quality of life. "It does this by changing industrial processes, creating new products and changing and influencing markets with new ideas and with new rules."<ref name= wbcsd /> More people aim to get more value for their money in the market, while also enjoying a better environment. Firms implementing eco-efficiency to boost their value include mining companies, which integrate automated load analysis technologies, including onboard weighing systems, IoT, and machine learning, into mining and construction operations to significantly enhance eco-efficiency by optimizing resource allocation, reducing fuel consumption, and minimizing environmental impacts.<ref name="Eco-efficiency and Mining">{{cite journal |last1=Firoozi |first1=Ali Akbar |last2=Tshambane |first2=Magdeline |last3=Firoozi |first3=Ali Asghar |last4=Sheikh |first4=Sajid Mubashir |title=Strategic load management: Enhancing eco-efficiency in mining operations through automated technologies |journal=Results in Engineering |date=1 December 2024 |volume=24 |issue=102890 |doi=10.1016/j.rineng.2024.102890 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024011459 |access-date=8 May 2025 |issn=2590-1230|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Eco-efficiency is also implemented in more non-traditional ways, such as the integration of environmental criteria into the [[credit]] approval process; looking at "eco-integrated economic risks of a customer".<ref name= iisd2/> Besides, it plays a growing role where "eco-efficient choices are always preferred,"<ref name= ehren /> especially in service sectors such as [[tourism]] (see [[ecotourism]]).<ref name= wbcsd />