The Lines are Drawn
Oh boy, here we go. If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got. In the case of the Newfoundland Hydrogen Project, the lines are drawn by both sides taking a linear approach, all pointing to a long, drawn-out and acrimonious environmental impact process.
The politicians want to move the process along as quickly as possible, the environmentalists want to drag it out. There is a better way; and without it, the issues, the acrimony, will only increase – no good to anyone.
Adopt a Circular Approach
The typical way to evaluate a project is linear; and the Premier has bought into that by suggesting “Newfoundland (is) perfectly suited for hydrogen production”[1] To the premier, all is fine. The environmentalists have fallen into the same “trap,” but on the other side of the argument. How could either side be right when the process of evaluation has not even started?
Why not buy into evaluating the project through the lens of a Circular Economy? Everything to gain and nothing to lose, other than possibly the joy of working together in a positive process.
What will Evaluation through a Circular Economy Do?
A selection process tailored to circular innovation is of great advantage by implementing idea generation approached from bottom-up involving different stakeholders. Furthermore, the study discusses evaluation criteria and their CE implications in detail and structures them into a criteria framework that can be used in a multi-criteria decision model.
The premise is that the process begins with involvement of the stakeholders; neither the process, or the results are pre-determined as one may suggest both sides want the “public” to believe.
It is time to take a step back and consider the benefits of project evaluation through the principles of a Circular Economy that considers the impacts on people, the planet and profit. Some may cringe at the dirty word," profit.” But without a project that is profitable, it will never be sustainable.
What is stopping implementation of evaluation based upon a circular economy? Only a mindset of what someone may be giving up – if you continue to do what you have always done, you will get what you always have got. There is a better way.
Sustainable Circular Economy – Experts from Afar?
At Sustainable Circular Economy, we do not consider ourselves experts from afar. We are a boutique firm passionate about solving issues with a new mindset that may affect global warming, and people, the planet and profit. Having spent more than 20 years working through environmental impact assessments, negotiating on behalf of First Nation clients, and with corporate and international clients, the principals of Sustainable Circular Economy appreciate and understand the benefits of moving away from a linear approach to problem-solving.
If you wish to do the world a world of good, contact Sustainable Circular Economy today and ask us to demonstrate how we can help you and your business seize an era of opportunity and innovation in the new environmental landscape.
Best wishes from all of us at Sustainable Circular Economy.
Sustainable Circular Economy
Vancouver, Canada
+1 604 788 7261
wayne@sustainablecirculareconomy.ca
[1] VOCUM 27 08 22. https://vocm.com/2022/08/28/nl-perfectly-suited-for-hydrogen-production-says-furey/ Accessed 28 08 2022.