Educating for environmental sustainability and educating for creativity: actively compatible or missed opportunities?

This paper identifies the importance of both creativity and environmental sustainability for developing individual learners and society as a whole. It suggests that sometimes these two concepts appear to be in tension and that, politically, each is often championed by different communities. The relationship between creativity and environmental sustainability is explored in three separate contexts: in a design and technology schools context where teenage learners are being facilitated to develop creative responses within design briefs that include environmental considerations; through interviewing student teachers who have undertaken an ecodesign project; and through interviews with professional ecodesign practitioners. The tensions, compromises and contradictions evident where there is limited experience of environmental issues is contrasted with the level of optimisation and creativity engaged when designers have more maturity in this area. Finally, some suggestions are made for taking forward creativity and environmental sustainability in technology education through an ecodesign capability approach.

The decision support framework for developing Ecodesign at conceptual phase based upon ISO/TR 14062

The objective of this research is to propose a decision support framework for developing Ecodesign at the conceptual design phase based upon ISO/TR 14062 (2002). The contribution of this research lies in the decision support model for integrating analytic network process (ANP) and the distance-to-target (DT) method in order to calculate a single score Ecodesign concept indicator that makes the new product more eco-effective than the baseline product. The highlight of this framework is that the model can reduce bias and ease the decision-making process as well as enhance presentation of the new idea to stakeholders. A case study, recommendations, limitation, and further research are also presented.     

International review of ecodesign programs for products and lessons learned for China

ABSTRACT

Since the 1980s, ecodesign has emerged as a new guiding principle for integrating environmental aspects into product design and development, with the aim of reducing adverse environmental life-cycle impacts. For China, the concept of ecodesign is becoming important in advancing Chinese industrial development while mitigating the rise in national energy consumption and emissions. We reviewed 28 existing ecodesign labels and supporting programs adopted globally to identify lessons learned and best practices for the development of potential ecodesign labeling programs in China. We find that systematic framework and process and inclusion of various stakeholders in developing criteria, certification requirements and supporting policies in the form of green procurement, small local pilot subsidies, and active outreach and communication are key success factors of international programs. Based on international experiences and by leveraging existing Chinese frameworks for labeling and policies, China has an opportunity to lead in developing broader environmental criteria for a new ecodesign labeling program.     

欧盟紧凑型荧光灯生态设计要求比较分析与应对

本文介绍了欧盟新颁法规《非定向型家用灯的生态设计要求》中对紧凑型荧光灯光效能、功能性和信息等3个方面的生态设计要求,并比较了这些生态设计要求与我国国家标准的差异,提出了出口企业和检验检疫部门的应对措施。