ABSTRACT
Ecobalancing is based on an input-output analysis of materials flows, but includes the separate step of aggregating, evaluating and interpreting the results. This chapter is based on over a decade's experience of ecobalancing and environmental performance evaluation (EPE) at the Austrian Institut fur Okologische Wirtschaftsforschung (IOW, Institute for Environmental Management and Economics), and focuses on two neglected areas: its use in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the opportunities and feasibility of making comparisons on the basis of sector-specific input-output frameworks. It provides a brief description of what ecobalancing is. The corporate balance is crucial for controlling waste and emission streams, as many flows are monitored only on an annual basis and are not process-specific. The chapter describes the use of EPE in the Austrian brewing industry and the use of EPE in the Austrian wood-processing industry. It considers the relationship between ecobalancing and benchmarking.
