ABSTRACT
When President Clinton’s President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) met in 1996 it struggled with the definition of eco-industrial development (EID). Essentially trying to put teeth into the concept of ‘sustainable development’, the PCSD sought to integrate the three main principles the term evoked. The business community often talked about economic sustainability, whereas environmentalists were concerned about ecological sustainability; still others focused on social equity. Taking a broader definition than conventional industrial ecology, PCSD (1996a) defined EID as:
Industrial ecologists have devoted considerable attention to the business and environmental benefits that by-product strategies can provide. An equally important yet less explored aspect of EID is the enhancement of social equity and environmental justice for community members through the application of eco-industrial approaches to the redevelopment of local economies. Beyond the technological, economic and policy dimensions of forging business-to-business connections, those who are ‘on the ground’ attempting to design and develop eco-industrial projects have incorporated strong social justice and anti-poverty measures into their EID planning.
