C2C and transitions:
convicted to each other
Jan Rotmans, DRIFT
07-04-2009

Structure
1. transitions and transition management
4. C2C and transitions
7. levels of C2C applications
[product, building, area and company]
4. future agenda
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Transition
fundamental change of structure, culture and
practices in societal (sub)system
– structure: institutional setting
– culture: dominant paradigm
– practices: routines, rules, habits
incumbent structure, culture and practices are
broken down, which requires time to overcome resistance
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Transition
a transition requires a fundamental change in:
the way we think
the way we act
the way we are organized
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Transition domains
energy sector
mobility sector
health care sector
construction sector
waste sector
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Transition pattern
regime: dominant structure, culture and practices
with power and vested interests
niche: emerging, diverging structure, culture and
practices at a relatively small scale level
niche wants to develop power and take over the
incumbent regime; regime protects itself and wants
to offset the regime in an effective manner
transition = regime-change = power shift
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Can we manage transitions?
No
we cannot command and control transitions
too many uncertainties and surprises
Yes we can!
we can influence transitions
direction and pace of transitions
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Transition management
Guiding Principles
– stimulate niches at the micro-level (variation)
– interconnect niches with same direction (emergence)
– develop visions at macro-level that can act as guidance for niche-
development (new attractors)
– stimulate forming of niche-regimes (selection, clustering,
upscaling)
– further modulation between macro-micro level (co-evolution)
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Transition management
organisation of multi-actor
proces (transition arena)
development of
evaluation,
sustainability visions
monitoring and
and transition agendas
adjustment
(learning)
carrying out
experiments and projects

Transition management approach
- put energy in frontrunners (niche-players) and not in peloton
- bring niche-players and regime-players together in arena’s
- develop a shadow line within arena’s
- make it concrete as soon as possible with experiments
- create movement out of new coalitions/networks
- build up societal pressure through movement
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C2C and transitions
approach to design systems that are essentially waste free:
products, buildings, urban environments and social systems
- C2C is a niche
- C2C as niche requires a smart strategy to survive
within the regime
- the major barriers are NOT technological by nature
but institutional, juridical and mental barriers
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Barriers for cradle-to-cradle
– waste sector regime
– scientific scepticism
– reactive, conservative culture of construction sector
– laws and regulations
– chain organisation of sectors
– C2C hype
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The construction chain
real estate developer
contractor
construction material
producer
architect
supplier
sub-contractor
advisor
customer
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Phases of the transition in construction sector
Stabilisation
Sustainable construction
sector
Current situation
Acceleration
Take-off
Predevelopment
Time
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Regime shift from waste to
resource management
• cultural shift:
from:  consumers as producers of waste
to:  producers as consumers of resources
• structural shift:
from:  centralized, technology, market
to:  decentralized, processes, common pool
• practices shift:
from: regulation, structure and coordination
to:  self-organisation, stimulation and emergence
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

C2C at different levels
- the product level
chair, shoe, Ipod, television
- the building level
C2C building
- the area level
C2C area development
- the company level
Philips
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Product level
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transition to sustainable material use
ecological urgency
25% of CO2-emissions related to materials production and processing
social urgency
shift of environmental impact to developing countries, health risks
economic urgency
material use expected to triple next decades
shrinking reserves, increasing prices, growing dependency
dematerialization
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transition to sustainable material use
Flanders [www.duurzaam-materialenbeheer.be]
started transition to sustainable material use by 2004
– transition network of 20 frontrunners
- vision on sustainable material use
‘material and resource poor society by 2030’
corporate cradle-to-cradle, new cycle economy
– 5 transition pathways
at your service, smart closing, beyond scarcity, sust. synthetics
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Building level
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

C2C-building
– flexible design with varying functions in time
living building concept
– delivers energy
power house concept
– wastewater purification
– delivers cleaner air to the environment
– organic/technical materials that can be re-used
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

C2C-building
however,
there is no recipe
there are no C2C-laws
there are multiple interpretations
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Example:
C2C-building at Erasmus University
– board of the university
‘what is cradle-to-cradle?’
– real estate developer
‘what is a cradle-to-cradle building?’
– contractor
‘what are additional costs of C2C building?’
– construction material producer
‘what kind of materials do I need to use?’
– architect
‘how to design a cradle-to-cradle building?’
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Campus Woudestein in practice at EUR
Greening the Campus
sustainability principles
– own energy supply system
– green, multi-functional environment
– water storage system
we can do better!
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

SUSTAINABLE FOOTBALL STADIUMS
ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE BUSINESS PLANNING COMMUNITY LEGACY
Embodied energy National status Legacy for local users
Energy saving Destination effect Community hub
Carbon neutral Capital cost vs. Lifecycle cost Appropriate size
Materials selection Compatible uses Suitable location
Renewable resources Revenue generation Youth out-reach programs
Rainwater harvesting Minimised maintenance Neighbourhood activities
Grey water reuse Ticketing technology Flexibility of use
Refuse recycling Mobile technology Ongoing costs
Reduced light pollution Changeover for events Designed for legacy use
Reduced noise pollution
Improved transportation
Improved cleaning regime
Natural convective ventilation
Solar energy
Wind energy
Geothermal energy
Combined heat and power
Biomass boilers
Emerging technologies

2012 Olympic Stadium, UK Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

DEMOUNTABILITY
2012 Olympic Stadium, UK Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Grand Stade de l’Olympique, Lyonnais

AIR QUALITY TRANSPORT STRATEGY
WATER ACOUSTIC CO2 FOOTPRINT
ANZ Olympic Stadium Australia – rainwater harvesting, grey water, waterless sanitaryware
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Area development level
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

C2C Area development
groping in the dark
upcycling of an area?
relation humans and area?
relations buildings and area?
closing cycles? [ecological, economic, social]
various layers? [underground, infrastructure, activities]
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Sustainable Area development
key values of area reinforce each other
• search for the (historical) identity of the area
• analyse the sustainability potential of the area
• design sustainability principles for the area
• develop a sustainability vision for the area
DRIFT

Sustainability potential scan
mobility
cultural history ecology
economy energy
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Sustainable Area Principles
Creating
- develop from cultural historical perspective
- human scale as starting point
- integration of functions
- humans, buildings and areas organically interwoven
- diversity as starting point
Mitigating
- no shift to other areas
- energy neutral
- climate adaptive
- re-use of existing materials and resources
- as little pollution as possible
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Haarlemmermeer 2030
duurzame pionierspolder
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

aquacultuur
zelfvoorzienende
watergeneratoren dijkwoningen
watertaxi
drijvende
woningen
veilige Klimaatdijk

floating energy generating districts for pioneers

ecologische
volkstuintjes
biologische
oevers
boomgaard
boeren
kleine windturbines
wandelen tussen
de dieren
high-tech
fietsverbindingen

biologische
voedsel
creatieve
voorziening
functie stapeling
vergaderruimte
schaapskooi
boomgaard
op het dak
Nieuwe
pioniers

werken in groene
omgeving met lokaal
voedsel

Company level
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Philips
is experimenting with Cradle-to-Cradle [Ingrid Seegers]
requires a new business model
long-term values vs short-term profit
services vs products
co-production vs competition
requires a corporate strategy
long-term C2C vision
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Philips transition strategy
• external
– initiate and participate
• in transition arenas: create common base, advocate future
visions, create social support
• in transition experiments: concrete projects producing
concrete examples/alternatives
• internal
– reframe and redevelop
• personal competences, skills and knowledge
• organisational culture and structure
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Future agenda
1. validate and deepen cradle-to-cradle
scientific rigour
4. case studies at different levels
building, area development
3. transition to sustainable material use
cradle-to-cradle incorporated
10.initiate education
C2C and sustainability education
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Education
C2C requires multi-disciplinary background
most universities are disciplinary shelters
universities are islands of faculties
what we need is cross-faculty schools
school of C2C and sustainability
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Education
no educational grounding of C2C at Dutch universities
Master in preparation at Rotterdam (with Delft?):
‘design and management of sustainable development’
educate students with: analytical skills, design skills and
process skills
multi- and interdisciplinary study
we can use trainees and PhD-students!
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Conclusions
C2C is not about product innovation but system innovation
barriers in social systems prevent implementation of C2C
C2C requires an innovation of social systems
[waste, energy, construction, mobility]
successful C2C requires a transition management approach
educational grounding of C2C is necessary
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

let’s transitionize
cradle-to-cradle!
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Mission Greening the Campus:
EUR wants to be widely renowned and recognized as the university
that walks its talk in the area of sustainable business practice.
What Cradle to Cradle (C2C) means for us:
•
We want to enhance sustainable (green) purchasing to a C2C puchasing
•
ambition.
•
We plan to work with TU Delft as of Sep 09, specifically within their minor
•
Sustainable Future Campus, seeing the campus as 'playground' for
innovative sustainable solutions. C2C has gained the interest of both
universities (EUR and TU Delft).
•
Interested?
•
Please send an e-mail to GREENINGTHECAMPUS@RSM.NL
•
Dutch Research Institute For Transitions