Global manufacturing and the sustainable economy

Recent years have seen increasing attention being focused on the concept of the 'sustainable economy'. Variously interpreted, the concept is used to encompass energy conservation, the reduction in greenhouse gasses, environmental protection, recycling and the conservation of natural resources. To the developing world, it represents a challenge (constraint) on achieving economic parity with the developed world without extensive pollution of the environment. To the developed world, it represents a challenge to maintaining access to sufficient raw materials to achieve continuing economic development without compromising the opportunities for self-development of future generations and without passing on increasing environmental burdens to the developing world. In this age of the global enterprise, manufacturing bears a particular responsibility for achieving international standards for sustainability. This paper explores the extent to which the fundamental issues of sustainability in manufacturing are currently being addressed and the extent to which the public consciousness is ready to support sustainability in the design and manufacture of consumer products.