Project Mission Statement
Target groups of the Seminars
Seminars Program
Seminars topics
Handbook Project
In Russian

The current focus of the CFE Foundation is the promotion of sustainable business concepts within the Russian Federation. The growing environmental awareness of the West has not yet taken hold in Russia, with potentially detrimental effects for the Russian environment. It is essential that the development of new business in Russia occurs simultaneously with a growing awareness of environmental issues. To this end, the CFE proposes a seminar series on various aspects of sustainable business concepts aimed at professionals, decision makers, and other empowered target groups.

The main task of the seminars project is to bring modern business concepts based on environmental awareness to Russia. This will be done through introductory and advanced topics in the field of sustainable development.

• executives with environmental responsibilities from retailers, manufacturers, importers
• product developers, product managers, designers
• federal/city government agencies' officials
• policy-makers
• environmentalists
• students
• journalists

1. Introductory Remarks and Definitions
 
1. Ecodesign
2. Sustainable Business Concepts
3. ISO Standardization
2. Stages of Project
 
1. Preparatory Stage
2. Initial Seminar
3. Advanced Seminars
3. Proposed Content
 
1. Initial
2. Advanced
4. Projerct Assessment
5. Conclusions

1. Introductory Remarks and Definitions

a. Ecodesign

"Ecodesign" is usually defined and implemented as environmental optimisation of product design in each and every phase of the product development process and covering each and every phase of the product life cycle, from raw material extraction up to disposal of the wasted product.

Usually it is presented as a step-wise process, an organizational arrangement, with the objective that a company will benefit both from an economic as well as an ecological point of view. However, this concept has been developed in the western industrialized world, in reaction to the waste and emission problems connected to the products. After having paid much attention to process improvement (pollution prevention, prevention of waste and emissions) it became clear that the products from the improved processes also had an important influence on the environment. Similar to the pollution prevention approach (a step-wise assessment of the production process to find options form improvement) an ecodesign approach was developed and stimulated.

b. Sustainable Business Concepts

Sustainable Product Development (SPD) addresses values and it focuses on elementary needs, in the future, especially of people in developing countries. SPD focuses on the functions to be delivered through products, systems and services. It considers the properties and availability of resources and their distribution among nations and generations, in the past, present and future. It is embedded in, respecting and building upon the context of local physical, natural, social, cultural and economic conditions. These may be enriched on the basis of an input of sustainable principles, concepts and resources from elsewhere. Other sustainable business concepts to be covered within the framework of the Seminars include Sustainable Service Design (SSD), Design for Disassembly (SSD), Takeback, Ecolabelling, ISO standardization, and others.

c. ISO Standardization - for details see separate background paper

2. Stages of Project

The project has been divided into three major stages: a preparatory period, an initial introductory seminar, and a series of advanced seminars. The time frame depends on funding and corporate participation. Tentatively, however, the preparatory phase will be completed in early fall, followed soon thereafter by the initial seminar. The advanced seminars will be spread over several months.

a. Preparatory Stage

The preparatory stage is grant supported. The main tasks consist of detailed planning of the seminars, preparation of the handbook and other support materials, and audience selection. The planning will be done in consultation with Western professionals in the field in order to obtain a high quality, up to date series of topics. The support materials will be developed based on this planning phase and will be compiled, translated edited and printed in Russia. The audience selection phase may lead to further requirements, which will lead to adjustments in the agenda or speakers. Promotion of the seminar series will also occur during the preparatory phase, with contacts being developed in professional circles and the media.

b. Initial Seminar(s)

The initial seminar will be a grant supported introduction to sustainable business concepts. It will be free for participants and will have an international agenda. It is possible, depending on the level of interest and the level of funding, that several introductory seminars will be held. The main aims will be to:

• Introduce the subject and provide a general overview of the various aspects and applications.
• Attract the attention of professionals and the media
• Establish the level of interest in the community and in business circles
• Clarify country specific aspects

 c. Advanced Seminars

The advanced seminars will be supported by sponsors and contributions from the participants' organizations and firms. A secondary preparatory stage will be required to incorporate all the additional information obtained during the initial seminar. The core of the audience will remain the same. Depending on financial support, the seminars may be free for a portion of the participants. One or more of the seminars may take place in the Netherlands (tentatively Delft Technical University). As well, site visits, exhibitions or awards may be incorporated into the seminar series during this stage. The main focus, however, will be on:

• Specialization of topics to deal specifically with the Russian situation and with more limited subject matter.
• Diversification of style in order to include lectures, plenary discussion, and working groups. This will facilitate a more direct professional-to-professional exchange of information.

3. Proposed Content

The content has been proposed based on current literature and consultation with Western professionals. Due to the broadness of sustainable business concepts, the seminars have been divided into two parts. The initial seminar will cover broad conceptual topics and questions of applicability. The advanced seminars will provide detailed analysis of specific aspects of sustainable business concepts. Please note that the current list is tentative and subject to modification.

a. Initial Seminar
The initial seminar will be held in Moscow, Russia, tentatively during winter of 1998-1999. The overall theme will be:

Sustainable Production and Consumption
This seminar will cover social, cultural, and economic aspects of sustainable business concepts. The importance for businesses and for Russia in general will also be addressed. A brief overview of key concepts such as eco-design, life-cycle assessment, and the ISO norms will be provided.

b. Advanced Seminars

This series of seminars will be more focused on specific topics and the Russian situation. The interest level of the audience (as polled during and after the initial seminar) will be used to tailor the program to the needs of Russians. The tentative list of topics includes:

Eco-Design and Sustainable Product Design

This seminar will focus on environmentally conscious manufacturing. Life-cycle analysis will be used to illustrate different design procedures, including design for product reuse, design for repair/rework, and design for disassembly.

Sustainable Service Design (SSD)

Various business perspectives on sustainable service design will be provided, in the context of both developing and developed countries. The content of SSD will be illustrated with case studies.

The ISO Standards

The standards relevant to business in Russia will be examined with the use of case studies. ISO 9000, 14000, and 14001 will be covered with specific reference to access to Western markets and sustainable development.

Eco-Labeling

Economic models relating to environmentally friendly products will be assessed. Methods for raising public awareness of sustainable production will be illustrated using specific case studies (Germany).

Take-back Management of End-of-life Products

This seminar will examine the economic incentives for the collection and recycling of resources. The need for public awareness and strong legislative support will also be covered.

Sustainable Resource Management

The exploitation of natural resources in Russia (forestry, mining, oil and gas production, fisheries) will be examined from an environmental management perspective. Techniques for maintain sufficient stock and minimizing environmental impacts may be provided.

Sustainable Agriculture

The costs and benefits of high and low input agriculture will be assessed based on current economic models. Case studies of different approaches to agriculture will be examined in order to provide insight into alternative, sustainable agriculture.

4. Project Assessment

The assessment of the project will be an on-going process. The main criterion of success will be the continued interest of Russian organizations and companies, as well as that of Western partners. The level of interest and particular requests of participants will be monitored both during and after the seminars. The information from these sources will be taken into account for each new planning stage (i.e. for each seminar).

5. Conclusions

It is apparent that there is a need for more information on sustainable business concepts on the Russian market. As Russian business begins to develop, it is essential that the Russian environment is not compromised in the process. This can only be achieved through the application of environmentally aware policies in design, use, and re-use. A seminar series focused on such policies and aimed at both professionals and policy-makers provides a solution for this information gap. Furthermore, this project provides a cost effective means of reaching an influential audience, and has the possibility of becoming fully self-sustaining after the initial stage.

The proposed handbook will be the first comprehensive publication in Russian covering the sustainable business theory and experiences, targeted at professionals as well as general public. The handbook will be distributed free of charge.

Contents
Sources

books
 

1.	Ecodesign: a promising approach to sustainable production and consumption (multiple authors), UNEP, Paris, 1997
2.	Brezet, J. C. et al. PROMISE: Handleiding voor Milieugerichte Produkt Ontwikkeling, Rathenau Instituut - SDU Uitgeverij, The Hague, 1994
3.	Hans van Weenen, Design for Sustainable Development. Guides and Manuals. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Dublin, Ireland.1997
4.	Weenen, J.C. van: Waste Prevention: Theory and Practice, Delft Technical University. Castricum, 1990
5.	Hans van Weenen, Design for Sustainable Development. Concepts and Ideas. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Dublin, Ireland.1997
6.	Behrendt, S., Weenen, H. van, Jasch, C., and Peneda, M.C.: Life Cycle Design. A manual for small and medium sized companies. Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1997
7.	Life-Cycle Design Guidance Manual: Environmental Requirements and the Product System, US EPA, Washington, DC, 1993
8.	Sustainable Service Design - a survey, UNEP WG/SPD, Amsterdam, 1997
9.	Eco-Labelling: Actual Effects of Selected Programmes, OECD, Paris, 1997
10.	Produktanforderungen Zeichenanwender und Produkte, Umweltzeichen, RAL - Deutsches Institut fur Gutesicherung und Kennzeichnung E.V., 1997
11.	Environmental Label German "Blue Angel", "Green Seal", Umweltzeichen, RAL - Deutsches Institut fur Gutesicherung und Kennzeichnung E.V., 1997
12.	ISO 14001 Official Reference book, web edition available at http://www.ncedr.org/guides/iso.htm

periodicals

1. Way Beyond quarterly (Amsterdam)

[Dizajn], journal bimestriel, (Paris)
The Journal of Sustainable Product Design quarterly, (Farnham, Surrey - UK)