When the activities of workplaces and companies are developed towards a future based on carbon-neutral circular economy, all dimensions of sustainable development must be paid attention to: ecological, social, cultural and economic. What does this mean from the point of view of vocational competence?  How far do the fields of VET reach when they strive for sustainability in their own way?
Kestävä kehitys ammatillisen koulutuksen osaamisena
Photo: Hanna Ruusulampi, Opetushallitus

Author: Nani Pajunen, Leading Specialist, Sustainability solutions, Sitra

The earth has only a limited amount of natural resources. Our current wellbeing and the global economic model are based on overconsumption of natural resources. We have already been aware of this for 50 years (The Limits to Growth, 1972). In spite of this, the global economy has continued to grow, on the expense of the earth’s wellbeing. Fortunately, we have now realised that biodiversity loss and climate change are consequences of human activity.

Mitigating the consumption of natural resources supports the achievement of the climate goals and the protection of biodiversity. According to the assessment of the International Resource Panel, the acquisition and processing of natural resources account for approximately half of the international greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per cent of the loss of biodiversity. (IRP 2019, Global Resources Outlook 2019: Natural Resources for the Future We Want.) Sustainable use of natural resources and a circular economy of materials therefore plays a key role when we strive for a sustainable future and look for solutions to mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity.

Purppurainen kuva kartasta, jossa on ikuisuussymbolin muodostava junaratamalli, irtonaisista puujunaradan osista sekä kuusenpaloista

The aim is to change over from a linear economy, in which everything is used only once and discarded in the end, towards a carbon-neutral circular economy, in which the global economy operates within the earth’s carrying capacity. Sustainable business is profitable business to companies. If a company is not profitable, it will soon no longer exist.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) have a social, cultural, economic and environmental perspective. When we develop measures towards a carbon-neutral circular economy, we must always take into account all of these dimensions. A carbon-neutral circular economy is therefore a solution that will help us strive for the SDGs.

From the point of view of VET, this means that the SDGs and the basics of a carbon-neutral circular economy must be offered to all students, regardless of the field they are studying. Circular economy solutions, i.e. the tools for performing the work in a new way, are advanced competence. How is a circular economy implemented in places such as construction sites, hairdressers’, nursing care and, say, in primary production.

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Raw materials, ingredients and products are transported across the world all the time. The delivery chains are global. The use of natural resources, their processing and the manufacture of products affect the environment in different countries and on different continents.

Interest in where from and how the natural resources are extracted and awareness of this have increased in the past few years. Customers, companies as well as consumers, have begun to demand responsible delivery chains. A lot of discussion has emerged on the social licence. It is no longer self-evident that the arrival of a large industrial enterprise in a locality is found only a positive issue from the economic point of view. Instead, local stakeholders have begun to demand responsibility from the arriving companies.

Vihreä jalanjälki

In the Paris Agreement on the mitigation of climate change, the goals are set separately for each country. From the point of view of the future of the earth, the limits set for the countries are artificial and the matter should be looked at as a whole. In that case, it may not be the most sensible thing to indefinitely reduce the environmental effects of factories that represent the leading technologies, but to reflect on where in the world the same investments would reduce the harmful environmental effects the most. The equation is difficult because there is no global legislation and very different decisions are made in different corners of the world.

It is important to reflect on this global perspective to delivery chains also in VET: is it always necessary to choose the cheapest option or is it possible to also include responsibility issues in the decisions, such as the rights of employees in primary production and the environmental effects of industrial production? The more carbon-neutral circular economy solutions are introduced in more stages of the delivery chain, the more the functioning of society will be within the earth's carrying capacity. We can contribute to the change with our choices, for example, by choosing products with the smallest environmental impacts during their lifecycle – even if the product is more expensive than other products. The environmental impacts of a product’s lifecycle can be verified, for example, by means of different lifecycle assessments and carbon footprint markings. Choosing products, for the production of which the manufacturers have been paid fairly, contributes to the change. For example, the Fair Trade label on the product means that its production has been fair.

Purppurainen polkupyörä

Because companies produce products according to demand, each of us has an opportunity to influence industry. If customers, both the companies in the delivery chain and consumers with their consumption choices begin to demand more responsible production, ask about the environmental impacts during the manufacturing process and make purchase decisions based on the smallest environmental impacts, sustainable solutions will also be developed and mainstreamed.

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All of the products we use have a more or less similar lifecycle: natural resources, mineral extractive materials and bio-based materials progress through the material manufacture process to product manufacture, through sales to use and at the end of their lifecycle, hopefully through recycling to reuse, often as a part in the lifecycle of another product.

The key solutions promoting a carbon-neutral circular economy are made at the beginning of the lifecycle and in the material development and the product design stages. At the beginning of the product lifecycle, it is possible to contribute to

  • mixed materials
  • product components
  • product usability
  • longevity
  • serviceability and repairability.

The crucial decisions from the point of view of recycling are also made at the beginning of the lifecycle: how easy or difficult it will be to separate the mixed materials from each other and thus promote a better circulation of materials.

In VET, it must be discussed on a field-specific basis how students’ competence will be developed from the point of view of sustainability. A new way of thinking and acting is very closely related to

  • business activities (responsible procurement)
  • logistics (environmental effects of transports)
  • manufacture of materials and products (waste, management of the product lifecycle, recycling and reuse of material)
  • trade (consumer's responsible choices)
  • competence in practical everyday tasks concerning us all (everyday choices and actions).

Of the areas of VET, repair competence would need rapid reinforcement. Using the product for as long as possible is at the heart of the circular economy, but this requires availability of repair and maintenance services. There is currently a lack of this kind of competence in Finland and there is an acute need to increase the services.

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Stopping the overconsumption of natural resources is at the heart of the work on circular economy in industrial sectors. Finland is a strongly industrial country. Approximately 95 per cent of waste is created by industry. Even just for this reason, it is justified that carbon-neutral circular economy solutions are developed specifically for industries: this will make it possible to significantly reduce harmful environmental impacts and achieve positive impact.

New circular economy business models have also been developed to the different stages of the lifecycle:

  • renewable raw materials can replace fossil raw materials (e.g., from oil-based to bio-based plastics)
  • shared use of products can be increased with different sharing platforms
  • a transition can be made from owning products to buying services.

Increasing the useful age of products with repair and maintenance services also plays an important role.

Vihreä savuttava tehdas

The role of industrial sectors in promoting a circular economy is also important to pay attention to in education. The focus of the change in the activities should primarily be on fields through which the best effectiveness can be achieved. A wide range of competence of different levels is needed in industry. The change requires both technological development and a change in the practices of operative work. In vocational education and training, it is important to bring up matters such as sustainable use of natural resources in the studies because the model based on their overconsumption can no longer be continued. It is important to emphasise the importance of material circulation as a solution in stopping the overconsumption of natural resources while also safeguarding biodiversity. The role of industrial sectors in mitigating climate change is also important through reduction of emissions.

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As an individual industrial sector, the construction sector uses approximately 50 per cent of the natural resources used on the earth. It is therefore especially important to put into use circular economy solutions and recycled raw materials in the construction sector. From the point of view of building a carbon-neutral circular economy society, it is also crucial how we design the areas in which we live. How do we implement sustainable methods in these areas?

Purppurainen piirroskuva, jossa puujunaradan osaa liimataan ehjäksi

In the construction sector, all actors involved in the building's lifecycle are responsible for promoting carbon-neutral circular economy solutions. This means that the responsibility already begins from land use planning: will the constructed environment be built even tighter or will the natural environments be built over? The designer and the manufacturer of the product are responsible for designing and manufacturing a product, the usable life of which is as long as possible and which can be maintained and repaired. The use following the initial use of the product must be planned for its materials in the material development stage. Where possible, recycled raw material must be used in the manufacture stage of the product.

During work practices, VET students learn by following the practices of other employees and discussing everyday activities with them. Students learn that they should act responsibly on the construction site. Secondary soil masses must be used in earthworks, and excess soil masses must be delivered to other sites for use. All waste material created in construction must be collected and delivered appropriately for reuse. Intact and surplus products can be sold to other sites.

The most extensive carbon footprint during the building's lifecycle is currently produced during its use. All of us are therefore responsible for this stage as users of the building. Energy and water should not be wasted. Properties should use renewable energy where possible. The use of different green constructions should also be increased both in the building and in the outdoor structures.

If the building is ever demolished, the products and materials are demolished according to instructions and delivered to be reused. Both more competence and a shared mindset to stop wasting material at this stage of the lifecycle are needed at the demolition stage.

The lifecycle of a building is long and a variety of expertise is needed between its design and use. Carbon-neutral circular economy must be integrated into the work of all these professionals, starting from their education. Without good collaboration and a shared goal, the best possible outcome will not be achieved.

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Extensive systemic changes require decision-making by several people together. In smaller decisions, the choice of even one person is significant and these small decisions together create a force for change with an impact and effectiveness. For all of us to be able to make decisions that support sustainable development, information must be available to us – both on the negative effects on the environment and good choices. We also need to have more circular economy solutions available.  Industry and trade have a crucial role in this respect.

We are all part of the change. It is important to be aware that every action is meaningful and that everyone can make a difference. We all should actively keep an eye on what happens in the world and how it is possible to achieve the goals of sustainable development. It is also important to identify correct and researched information from the enormous flow of messages and distinguish wrong kind of information.

Sininen maapallo, jonka ympärille on piirretty lyijykynällä sydän

We do not know what the future will be like. However, we can be sure that we will continue to need a lot of professionals from different fields and that all of these professionals have the necessary competence to implement a carbon-neutral circular economy both in the daily life and in leisure time. From the point of view of our own future, we should be open to new things and reflect on our own role in building a good and sustainable future. We can all accumulate this competence by studying and by learning from each other. A carbon-neutral circular economy is the new normal in which nature, society and humans are well without exploiting one another.

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