Industrial ecology

Research output: Contribution to Book/Report typesChapterpeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

Industrial ecology is an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to (un)sustainability, which understands economic systems as embedded in their natural environments. Its concepts and tools are highly compatible with ecological economics. On the one hand, industrial ecology studies the ecology of industrial systems: Because industrial systems have a metabolism, they can be examined using tools such as material and energy flow accounting, substance flow analysis, and life-cycle accounting. On the other hand, industrial ecology examines ecological systems from the perspective of industry: Based on the notion of biomimicry or industrial symbiosis, natural designs and processes are identified that might inspire more sustainable industrial systems. Although industrial ecology is a diverse field, much of the research therein is explicitly dedicated to generating knowledge for socio-ecological transformations, an endeavor which requires pushing the boundaries of the field, especially in recognizing the role of actors and institutions involved and the power relations between them.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationElgar Encyclopedia of Ecological Economics
Editors Emilio Padilla Rosa, Jesús Ramos-Martín
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Pages309-312
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9781802200416
ISBN (Print)9781802200409
DOIs
StatePublished - 28 Sep 2023

Keywords

  • Environmental accounting
  • Process design
  • Resource flows
  • Sustainability research

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