The changing concept of sustainability and economic opportunities for energy-intensive industries

In the past decades there has been a shift in the concept of sustainability from a distant, environmentally oriented ideology to an imperative factor for competitiveness. This paper first discusses this paradigm change as seen from an industry perspective. Second, motivated by energy-related improvement potentials in energy-intensive manufacturing industries (steel, cement, pulp and paper, chemicals), novel economic drivers for environmental commitment are identified. Third, based on the outcomes of a recent EU-funded roadmapping project, measures and concepts in production organization are introduced and assessed with respect to the above motivation. We conclude that the novel economic drivers call for re-evaluation of environmental strategies.