Ecological Safety as a Factor of Sustainable Development of

Industrial Areas

T. V. Maiorova

, O. S. Ponomareva

and O. L. Nazarova

Department of management,Magnitogorsk State Technical University, 38 Lenin Street, Magnitogorsk, Russia

Keywords: Sustainable Development, Ecological Safety, Industrial Area.

Abstract: The purpose of the article is to study ecological safety as a factor of the sustainable development of industrial

areas. The methodological approach consists in using the basic principles of the concept of sustainable

development as a basis for integrating economic development strategies and ecological policy and

determining the principles of ecological safety of an industrial area, focused on balanced eco-economic

development. The main structural elements and parameters of the industrial area as an eco-economic system

are determined, an integrating factor is proposed, that determines the possibility of economic development

under the condition of ecological safety. The problem of choosing criteria for the ecological safety of an

industrial area, focused on sustainable development, is solved and a system of indicators is proposed, that

characterizes the level of ecological safety of an industrial area from the standpoint of the use of resources in

production systems, an assessment of the ecological state and initiative activity, aimed at preventing

degradation and restoring the environment.

1 INTRODUCTION

Ecological systems play a fundamental role in

maintaining life on Earth at all hierarchical levels, are

the source of all resources, and provide the possibility

as itself of human existence.

Ultimately, economic growth and prosperity are

possible only if ecological systems function

sustainably.

In 1987, the Brutland Commission's report, "Our

Common Future", was published, which for the first

time attempted to link economic development and

ecological sustainability and define sustainable

development as “development, that meets the needs

of the present without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs” (United

Nations General Assembly, 1987).

Despite the fact, that this formulation of the

concept of sustainable development is not specific

enough, it is obvious, that it is aimed at maintaining

economic progress only if the long-term

environmental value is preserved (Cerin, 2006).

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However, throughout the 20th century, scientists

stated, that there is no need to make a compromise

between ecological sustainability and economic

development.

Using economic instruments, a number of

scientists suggested, that environmental policy can

also contribute to the innovation development and

provide economic growth. In "Welfare Economics",

published in 1920, Arthur Pigou noted, that the

discrepancy between marginal private costs and

benefits and marginal social costs and benefits creates

so-called "neighborhood effects" and acts as a barrier

to achieving balance in the market (Pigou, 1920).

These neighborhood effects - the availability of

additional free services or public goods - are

considered costs and benefits, not included in the

price of the good or service. Components of a healthy

environment, such as clean air and water, are

considered public goods in the sense, that they are not

competitive or excluded from turnover.

The continued possibility of using these public

goods for present and future generations fails with the

help of the traditional market mechanism. To regulate

Maiorova, T., Ponomareva, O. and Nazarova, O.

Ecological Safety as a Factor of Sustainable Development of Industrial Areas.

DOI: 10.5220/0010585600280032

In Proceedings of the International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure (ISSDRI 2021), pages 28-32

ISBN: 978-989-758-519-7

the market mechanism, Pigou proposed to adopt a tax

on those activities, that cause negative neighborhood

effects, at a rate, equal to these external costs. As a

result of this tax collection, the market price will more

accurately reflect the total costs and benefits of

producing and consuming a good or service.

Recently, many states have taken on an introduction

of such market-based instruments to assess the costs

of negative impacts and ensure long-term

environmental stability.

Michael Porter and Klaas van der Linde

(Porterandvander Linde, 1999), stating, that

competitive advantage depends on the ability to

improve, believed, that “ecological norms can

actually increase competitiveness by stimulating

innovation” (Porter and van der Linde, 1999). In other

words, ecological policy, using market-based

instruments, can stimulate the introduction of new

technologies and reduce production waste. However,

market-based ecological instruments have

traditionally been perceived as more “business-

friendly” than strict ecological management (Cooper

and Vargas, 2004).

Understanding, that the compromise between

ecological sustainability and economic development

is impossible, sustainable development policy are

directed to eliminate sources of environmental

degradation, not just consequences, while providing

opportunities and creating incentives for economic

progress. This internal interdependence between

long-term environmental stability and economic

growth is the conceptual framework for sustainable

development.

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT: DEFINITION

AND PRINCIPLES

The key principle, that determines other principles in

the framework of sustainable development, is the

integration of ecological, social, and economic issues

into all aspects of decision-making - it is this concept

of integration, that distinguishes sustainability from

other forms of policy (Stoddart, 2011).

As noted above, the most commonly used

definition of sustainable development is one, that

addresses the importance of conserving resources for

future generations and is one of the main features, that

distinguish sustainable development policy from

traditional ecological policy, which is based on the

internalization of neighborhood effects of

environmental degradation. The overall goal of

sustainable development - long-term stability of the

economy and the environment - is achievable only

through the integration and recognition of economic,

ecological, and social issues in the decision-making

process.

Using this definition of sustainable development

raises the problem of capital interchangeability.

Aggregate capital stock priority: recognizing, that

artificial or produced capital is an adequate

alternative to natural capital, means poor

development sustainability. On the other hand, strong

development sustainability recognizes the unique

properties of natural resources and goods (natural

capital), that cannot be replaced by artificial capital

(Stoddart, 2011).

Within the general definition of sustainable

development, the principle of equity recognizes the

long-term perspective of sustainability to meet the

needs of future generations (Stoddart, 2011). The

"polluter pays" principle means, that economic agents

with negative impacts on the environment, bare the

costs and liabilities, related to these impacts, and do

not impose these costs on others, the environment or

future generations. State ecological policy and

ecological management must ensure, that the negative

impact on the environment as a result of economic

activity is taken into account and compensated for.

The precautionary principle states, that when

serious or irreversible damage is threatened, a lack of

full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason

to postpone cost-effective measures to prevent

environmental degradation (United Nations

Conference on the Human Environment, 1992). This

means, that the initiator of actions, with a risk of

serious or irreversible damage to the environment,

bears the burden of proof, that such an action would

not cause substantial harm.

The principle of common, but differentiated

liability recognizes, that each nation must play a

proportionate role in realizing the concept of

sustainable development. This principle recognizes

the different contributions of developed and

developing countries to environmental degradation,

in general, developed countries bear a greater

responsibility due to the large volume of resources

they consume and the pressure they put on the

environment (Brodhag and Taliere, 2006).

The system of state ecological management works

quite effectively and allows to implement a number

of principles of the concept of sustainable

development, in particular, the “polluter pays”

principle, but does not ensure the necessary

integration of economic, ecological, and social goals

Ecological Safety as a Factor of Sustainable Development of Industrial Areas

for different sectors and industries, areas, and

generations.

The technosphere and biosphere are usually

considered as separate systems: industrial facilities,

municipal facilities, and the environment - it is

necessary to eliminate such fragmentation, that is,

ecological, social, and economic issues must be

integrated into a single decision-making process in

order to move towards truly sustainable development.

This is possible if the industrial system and the

sociosphere are considered as a special form of

ecosystem - the processes of production and

consumption of goods and services consist of

material, energy and information flows, just like

natural ecosystems, but unlike natural ecosystems,

they are open.

Unlike closed material flows in the natural

environment, waste and by-products, generated as a

result of economic activity, do not always return to

economic turnover and become a resource for other

activities. Recycling of production and consumption

wastes should ultimately make up a significant part of

the resources, used in industrial processes, which

brings the functioning of industrial and socio-systems

closer to ecosystems, ensuring the integration of

ecological, social, and economic issues into a single

decision-making process and creating conditions for

the sustainable development of a single eco-economic

system.

3 RESULTS OF RESEARCH.

INDUSTRIAL AREA AS AN

ECO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM

Considering an industrial area as an eco-economic

system, we determined two main structural elements

and an integrating factor (Fig. 1).

Figure 1: Industrial area as an eco-economic system.

Structural elements of an industrial area as an eco-

economic system:

 Area, resources, natural goods of the region as

a basis for living and satisfying vital needs;

 A production system, that ensures the

development of the region's economy.

 Eco-economic balance of the industrial area

The eco-economic balance of the industrial area

performs a function of a necessary integrating factor

of the industrial area as an eco-economic system.

To describe the eco-economic balance of the

industrial area, the following parameters are

proposed:

 Ecological state of the area is the state, in which

ecosystems and their components are in a

specific period of time;

 Ecological situation is a combination of

conditions, processes and circumstances of a

natural and technogenic nature, that determine

the state of natural or natural-technical systems;

 Ecological requirements are a set of restrictions

on the use of natural resources and conditions

for the preservation of the environment in the

process of economic and other activities.

The sustainability of the production system of an

industrial area or economic sustainability is defined

as a production system, that satisfies the current level

of consumption without affecting future needs.

The environmental sustainability of an industrial

area is defined as the ability of natural systems to

preserve their structure and functional properties

under the anthropogenic impact, providing a

harmonious combination of natural resources, goods,

and ecological safety as the basis for living and

meeting the vital needs of the population.

It is proposed to determine the eco-economic

balance of an industrial area as an eco-economic

system through the achievement of positive economic

and social effects of economic development and

social sphere, under the condition of sustainable

functioning of ecological systems.

In general, sustainable development of an

industrial area is defined as economic development,

corresponding to current and future consumption

levels, subject to ecological safety.

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

4 THE DISCUSSION OF THE

RESULTS. CRITERIA AND

INDICATORS OF THE

ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF AN

INDUSTRIAL AREA, FOCUSED

ON SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

The ecological safety of an industrial area is defined

as a set of conditions, processes, and actions, that

ensures an ecological balance in the environment and

does not lead to vital damage (or threats of such

damage) to the natural environment and humans.

The principles of ecological safety, focused on

sustainable development are described below.

The principle of strong sustainability recognizes

the unique properties of components of the natural

environment, that cannot be replaced by artificial

capital. Such components include the constituent

parts of ecosystems: air, surface and underground

waters, bowels, soils, flora, and fauna.

The principle of equitable distribution of natural

resources and goods between generations recognizes

a long-term period of sustainability to meet needs. To

comply with the principle of equity, the value of the

use of natural resources or technogenic impact on

ecosystems and its individual components should be

determined, in which the functional and structural

characteristics of ecosystems do not go beyond the

limits of natural changes.

The “polluter pays” principle intends a

quantification of the anthropogenic load as the value

of the direct and indirect negative impact of human

activities on natural complexes and components of

the natural environment and compensation for the

consequences of such impact.

The precautionary principle states, that lack of full

scientific confidence should not be used as a reason

to postpone effective measures to prevent

environmental degradation. To comply with the

precautionary principle, it is necessary to determine

the ecological hazard - the probability of degradation

of the quality indicators of the natural environment

(states, processes) under the impact of natural and

technogenic factors, posing a threat.

Ecological safety criteria, focused on sustainable

development, are specified in Table 1.

Table 1: Ecological safety criteria, focused on sustainable

development.

Sustainable

develo

ment

rinci

les

Ecological safety criteria

Strong sustainability

principle

onservation of biodiversity, air

urity, water supply sources and

ther natural objects, public

gac

The principle of

equity

ational use of natural, material,

el and energy and labor

esources; eco-friendly

onsum

tion

The "polluter pays"

principle

inimal damage to the

nvironment with the sustainable

ocio-economic development of

reas

The precautionary

principle

troduction of high-

erformance

w-waste or waste-free

chnological equipment and

achines

The criteria for the formation of a specific set of

ecological safety indicators are, as a rule, social

significance, scientific certainty, and the possibility

of practical monitoring (Elgert and Krueger, 2012).

Ecological safety indicators can be determined

and presented at different scales and for specific

ecosystems (Fan et al., 2010; Maiorova and

Ponomareva, 2015). For example, as part of the

implementation of programs for the socio-economic

development of the area in order to achieve rational

use of natural resources and ensure ecological safety

- indicators can be used, ensuring the quality of

atmospheric air and water bodies in accordance with

regulatory requirements, reducing the negative

impact of waste on the environment (Maiorova and

Belik, 2018; Maiorova et al., 2018).

In accordance with the criteria, corresponding to

the principles of sustainable development (Table 1),

it is proposed to use the following groups of

indicators to determine the level of ecological safety

of an industrial area:

Indicators of resource use in production systems

of the area and in the process of consumption:

 Total and specific energy consumption;

 Total and specific consumption of freshwater;

the proportion of reused water in the total

volume of water consumption;

 A load of discharge and emission of pollutants

into the atmosphere and water bodies;

 Number of significant accidents with ecological

damage.

Indicators of the ecological state of the area:

 Concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere;

Ecological Safety as a Factor of Sustainable Development of Industrial Areas

 Concentration of pollutants in water bodies;

 Concentration of pollutants in the soil;

 Land size for waste disposal;

 Degraded land size;

 Biodiversity indicators.

Indicators of activities, aimed at preventing

degradation and restoring the environment:

 Initiatives to cushion the environmental impact;

 Investments in objects of environmental

protection and restoration.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The ecological safety criteria, formulated on the basis

of the basic principles of the concept of sustainable

development, determine the conditions for the

preservation of the structure and functional properties

of natural systems and the economic development of

an industrial area as an eco-economic system.

The proposed indicators of ecological safety can

be used by authorities of different levels of

governance, including territorial, non-governmental

organizations, public groups, and research

institutions to determine ecological requirements in

the process of economic and other activities, to

determine the level of ecological safety, to inform the

public and decision-makers about the degree of

sustainability of the functioning of ecological

systems, and also as a diagnostic tool for identifying

the ecological state and ecological situation of the

area.

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