ABSTRACT
In 1997, the book Factor Four brought together 50 case studies from around the world that demonstrated the potential to profitably achieve significant improvements in resource productivity. This concept transformed how many economists, policy makers, engineers, entrepreneurs and business leaders thought about innovation, environmental protection and wealth creation. The book was among a small number of books that inspired the formation of The Natural Edge Project (TNEP), as it not only assured us that significant innovation in resource productivity, and hence reductions in environmental pressures, was available, but it also made engineering and design exciting, even in the face of a looming global environmental catastrophe. The book, translated into 12 languages, effectively demonstrated to the world the value to business and government of moving on from environmental protection and pollution control, to a focus on resource productivity and pollution prevention. Specifically, the case studies in Factor Four included:
20 energy productivity case studies covering cars, buildings, super-windows, appliances, super-refrigerators, lighting, office equipment and computers, food with low freight miles, fans/pumps and motor systems, and air-conditioning;
15 materials productivity case studies such as durable products, electronic books/catalogues, reducing material flows in industry, retrofitting rather than demolishing buildings, and various options for recycling;
5 water productivity case studies such as subsurface drip irrigation, water efficiency in manufacturing, residential water efficiency and reducing water usage in cotton production;
10 transportation case studies such as car design, railways, light-rail, bus rapid-transit systems, videoconferencing and email to avoid travel, and car sharing.
