Title: The clean development mechanism and the principles of industrial ecology – exploring the interconnections and mutual opportunities

Authors: Rikke Lybaek, Noel Brings Jacobsen

Addresses: Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark. ' Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark

Abstract: This article explores how Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects can be designed and developed, employing some central Industrial Ecology (IE) principles so that they become more transformative. The results of a case study conducted in Thailand are presented and it is shown how IE principles can be used to design a |biomass-based Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system| suitable for CDM implementation. It is argued that IE principles should be included in the design phase of CDM projects for these to become more transformative and that CDM may actually provide a concrete tool for bringing IE notions like |industrial ecosystems| closer to actual implementation. It is concluded that IE and CDM may cross-fertilise one another fruitfully.

Keywords: clean development mechanisms; CDM; combined heat and power; CHP; biomass; industrial ecology; industrial ecosystems; Thailand.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2009.026580

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2009 Vol.6 No.1, pp.11 - 28

Published online: 19 Jun 2009 *

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