TY - JOUR

T1 - Developing environmental sustainability strategies, the Double Diamond method of LCA and design thinking

T2 - a case study from aged care

AU - Clune, Stephen

AU - Lockrey, Simon

PY - 2014/12/15

Y1 - 2014/12/15

N2 - This paper introduces a process to develop context-specific environmental sustainability strategies by utilising streamlined Life Cycle Assessment and design thinking. This process is referred to as the Double Diamond method of Life Cycle Assessment and Design Thinking, and is supported by an emperical case study of a major aged care organisation in Australia. The process asked four strategic questions to inform the development of the sustainability strategy: (1) What areas of aged care have the highest environmental impact? (2) How do the areas of high environmental impacts relate to day-to-day organisational practices? (3) What alternatives are available to reduce these impacts? And,(4) How could the alternatives formulate a plan to reduce impacts over time? Each question requires a specific disciplinary approach to answer, drawing on Life Cycle Assessment, social sciences and co-creative problem solving from design. The applied process can be viewed as an extension of ecodesign, moving from a product centric focus into an organizational setting, in part due to the emerging field of design thinking. The outcome of the case study is a plan proposing a mix of social and technical strategies to theoretically reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 54% over a ten-year time frame. Tying the plan together was a financing strategy that scaffolds strategy implementation across time. The paper provides insight into the environmental impacts of the aged care sector, the development of sustainability strategies, and a means to integrate Life Cycle Assessment into a creative problem solving process that may help businesses curtail environmental impacts.

AB - This paper introduces a process to develop context-specific environmental sustainability strategies by utilising streamlined Life Cycle Assessment and design thinking. This process is referred to as the Double Diamond method of Life Cycle Assessment and Design Thinking, and is supported by an emperical case study of a major aged care organisation in Australia. The process asked four strategic questions to inform the development of the sustainability strategy: (1) What areas of aged care have the highest environmental impact? (2) How do the areas of high environmental impacts relate to day-to-day organisational practices? (3) What alternatives are available to reduce these impacts? And,(4) How could the alternatives formulate a plan to reduce impacts over time? Each question requires a specific disciplinary approach to answer, drawing on Life Cycle Assessment, social sciences and co-creative problem solving from design. The applied process can be viewed as an extension of ecodesign, moving from a product centric focus into an organizational setting, in part due to the emerging field of design thinking. The outcome of the case study is a plan proposing a mix of social and technical strategies to theoretically reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 54% over a ten-year time frame. Tying the plan together was a financing strategy that scaffolds strategy implementation across time. The paper provides insight into the environmental impacts of the aged care sector, the development of sustainability strategies, and a means to integrate Life Cycle Assessment into a creative problem solving process that may help businesses curtail environmental impacts.

KW - sustainability strategies

KW - Life Cycle Assessment

KW - whole systems

KW - double diamond

KW - design thinking

KW - aged care

KW - participatory design

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.02.003

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.02.003

M3 - Journal article

VL - 85

SP - 67

EP - 82

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

SN - 1879-1786

ER -