Summary, Conclusions and Prospect

Abstract

Research on material flows in an economy-environment system has hitherto mainly been performed in environmental science and has focused on (i) describing the physical flows required for producing a particular product, or (ii) describing physical flows in a certain period and region. Little attention has been devoted to physical flows in environmental economics. The present study attempts to fill this gap between environmental science and environmental economics. The goal of this study is to examine the physical and economic mechanisms related to flows of materials and products, as well as the policies and strategies designed to reduce resource scarcity and environmental pollution related to these flows. Thus, this book aims to contribute to integrated model-based analyses of resource and pollution problems for policy making. Although this theme of policy analysis and material flows is not entirely new, in the present study it has been approached with novel insights, concentrating on interlinked material and product flows, associated environmental issues, and substitution and recycling mechanisms in production and consumption processes. As a general framework the concept of a ‘material-product (M-P) chain’ has been adopted. This is defined as a system of linked flows of materials and products supporting the provision of a certain service. This means that it includes flows of one or more materials and flows of one or more products. The term ‘chain’ refers to the sequence of economic activities required to provide that service. This sequence consists of extraction, material production, production of products, recycling, reuse and waste treatment. Chain management can be linked to this as an overall policy strategy that explicitly considers sequential linkages between various activities in terms of both economic and physical mechanisms.