ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE - CYCLE ENGINEERING : A concept for proactive integration of life - cycle thinking in environmental engineering university programmes

The paper presents the concept of "Environmental Life-Cycle Engineering" as a preventative and systems based approach to environmental improvements in industrial society. The concept is motivated by present major changes in strategies for industrial environmental performance. It is also motivated by long-term needs in terms of environmental efficiency and multidisciplinar optimisation. This leads to the recognising of Industrial Ecology as a systems oriented strategy for how to approach environmental challenges in industrial society. The key element of present industrial environmental efforts is pollution prevention by cleaner production measures. However, there is a need to make improvements beyond the "good housekeeping" level, by integrating prevention and life-cycle thinking in technology management, in process and product design, and in the management of waste and by-products, all with a long-term perspective. Environmental life-cycle engineering asks for more attention to the integration of environmental concern as part of various engineering disciplines (design and operation in all relevant branches) as compared to the more traditional and reactive focus to environmental control and remediation options. It is now important that such principles are implemented as part of university programmes related to research and teaching.