Page 405 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

380 Gl o ssar y

Heavy metals Metals that are relatively dense and toxic at low concentrations.
For example, cadmium, chromium, nickel and certain of their compounds
are known to be carcinogenic; lead and mercury can cause irreversible
functional impairment.
Human capital The set of skills which employees acquire on the job, through
training and experience, and which increase their value in the marketplace.
Indicator A quantifiable performance aspect of a product, process, service,
facility, or enterprise.
Industrial ecology Framework for improvement in the efficiency of industrial
systems by imitating aspects of natural ecosystems, including the cyclical
transformation of wastes into input materials. Alternative terms include
“industrial metabolism” and “industrial symbiosis.”
Intangible asset A non-monetary asset, including people, ideas, networks,
relationships, and processes, which is not traditionally accounted for on the
balance sheet.

Integrated product development A cross-functional design process that
considers the entire spectrum of quality factors, including safety, testability,
manufacturability, reliability, maintainability, and sustainability through-
out the product life cycle.
Intellectual capital Knowledge that can be exploited for business purposes,
including the skills, knowledge, and documents that a company or its
employees have accumulated about the business.
Key performance indicator (KPI) One of a small number of indicators that
correspond to critical corporate goals and are reflected in compensation or
recognition systems.
Lagging indicator An indicator of performance outcomes that can be
observed after the period of performance.
Leading indicator A predictive indicator of anticipated performance that
can be observed prior to the period of performance.
License to operate The ability of a corporation or business to continue
operations based on ongoing acceptance by external stakeholder groups.
Life-cycle accounting Quantification of direct and indirect costs and benefits
across the life cycle of a facility, product, or process. Cost/benefit categories
include hidden, contingent, good will, and external.
Life-cycle assessment (LCA) A systematic technique for identifying and
evaluating the potential environmental benefits and impacts associated
with products or processes throughout their life cycle. LCA is a standardized
method and is documented in the ISO standards 14040 series. (See cradle-to-
cradle, etc.)
Life-cycle impacts The impacts of a product on the environment from
extraction of raw materials to production, transportation, use, recycling and
final disposal. Potential impacts include energy and water consumption,
liquid discharges, gaseous emissions, solid wastes, etc.