Page 403 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

378 Gl o ssar y

resource intensity. Eco-efficiency is often measured by the ratio of value
delivered to resource inputs, such as materials, natural resources, and energy.
Eco-label Designation of a product or service with a label or mark, indicat-
ing that it has met specified environmental criteria. Eco-labels can be self-
declared or based on third-party certification.

Ecological economics An interdisciplinary field of academic research
that studies the interdependence between human economies and natural
ecosystems.
Economic value added (EVA) A financial indicator of the shareholder wealth
or “economic profit” created by a particular activity within an organi zation.
EVA is calculated as the difference between after-tax operating profit and
capital charge.
Ecosystem A dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro-organism
communities and their nonliving environment that interact as a functional
unit. Examples of ecosystems include deserts, coral reefs, wetlands, rain-
forests, boreal forests, grasslands, urban parks, and cultivated farmlands.
Ecosystem services Beneficial services that human communities obtain
from ecosystems. Examples include fresh water, timber, climate regulation,
erosion control, and recreation.
Emissions Airborne releases of gaseous pollutants.
Endangered species Species that are in imminent danger of extinction, due
to loss of habitats, loss of food sources, pollution, increases in predators, or
dramatic reductions in population.
Energy intensity A measure of environmental efficiency in production,
calculated by dividing the net energy consumption by the quantity or
monetary value of the output.
Enterprise integration Re-engineering of business processes and informa-
tion systems to improve teamwork and coordination across organizational
boundaries, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the enterprise as a whole.

Environmental footprint A quantitative measure of the impacts that a
product, process or activity has upon the environment. Footprint measures
may include energy use, water use, material consumption, waste and
emissions, or productive land area required, and may extend over all or part
of the life cycle.
Environmental impacts Adverse changes in ecosystems, habitat conditions,
flora, fauna, etc. due to human activities such as resource consumption,
pollution and land use.
Environmental performance The performance of a product, process, activity,
or business entity according to selected indicators of environmental impact.
Environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) A professional discipline concerned
with protection of the environment, human health, and safety through the
application of scientific, engineering, and management methods.