Sustainable Development Consultancy for Chemical Risk Appraisal and Management, Climate Change, Business Planning and Ozone Depletion
Sustainable Development Consultancy
Caleb is an international multi-disciplinary sustainable development consultancy based in Wotton Under Edge (near Bristol, England). The company was established in 1994, initially as a vehicle for Paul Ashford (Managing Director) to continue his career in `issues` management. Paul, a chemist by training, had been with BP Chemicals during the previous 15 years, where he undertook a series of roles including technology licensing, business development and general management. In 1998 Arnie Vetter (Environmental Director) joined Caleb and took on the remits of environmental project management and Sustainable Development to help grow this area of the business. Arnie`s previous career spanned the private, public and voluntary sectors, where he had developed experience in managing multi-stakeholder research and industry projects. Arnie came to Caleb from the Environmental NGO Worldwide Fund For Nature, where he had responsibility for developing sustainability based business education programmes. In 2003, Caleb was joined by Dr. Paul Becker, who is based in Wiesbaden, Germany and who is increasingly taking the lead on chemicals issues. His organic chemist background and experience from the German and U.S. resins industry allows him to address a wide range of issues in the chemical area. Paul Becker is working successfully with chemical companies / consortia in the area of: EU PBT assessment including management of related tests. Food contact related regulatory questions. Management of chemical Round Robin testing. Management of toxicological tests. Industry oriented preparatory work for REACH implementation. EU chemical registration. Caleb has recently cemented links with Dr Jason Yapp (Technical and Horticultural consultant) to assist in our work with Renewables. He has a strong background in sustainable plantation management and technical elements of `modern biomass` requirements for the generation of affordable, clean and carbon-neutral energy. He has been involved in the early assessment of the new technologies such as the development of a `Bio-refinery` for the torrefaction of agricultural and municipal wastes as high energy feedstock for co-firing a gasifier for heat and power generation. What We Do Caleb has four main areas of interest: Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol Ozone Depletion and the Montreal Protocol Chemical Risk Appraisal and Management Sustainability and its Impact on Business PlanningHow We Work Caleb is essentially an action oriented networking business that is well integrated in the various policy and practice groups within our chosen business areas. As a result of our successes, the company continues to grow and expand its resources. However, we have a clear policy of only growing by the direct employment of like-minded and committed people.Who We Work With One of our measures of success in our role of stakeholder engagement and consensus building is the split of our client base. At present, only 20% of our work is with private clients. However, 35% is with trade associations, 30% with Governments and other regulators and the balance of 15% with other International Agencies such as the United Nations. This balance is very important to us in demonstrating our credibility with a variety of stakeholders, particularly within the Chemical Risk business area, where we always seek to be a mediation service rather than lobbying service.
Caleb is an international multi-disciplinary sustainable development consultancy based in Wotton Under Edge (near Bristol, England). The company was established in 1994, initially as a vehicle for Paul Ashford (Managing Director) to continue his career in `issues` management. Paul, a chemist by training, had been with BP Chemicals during the previous 15 years, where he undertook a series of roles including technology licensing, business development and general management.
In 1998 Arnie Vetter (Environmental Director) joined Caleb and took on the remits of environmental project management and Sustainable Development to help grow this area of the business. Arnie`s previous career spanned the private, public and voluntary sectors, where he had developed experience in managing multi-stakeholder research and industry projects. Arnie came to Caleb from the Environmental NGO Worldwide Fund For Nature, where he had responsibility for developing sustainability based business education programmes.
In 2003, Caleb was joined by Dr. Paul Becker, who is based in Wiesbaden, Germany and who is increasingly taking the lead on chemicals issues. His organic chemist background and experience from the German and U.S. resins industry allows him to address a wide range of issues in the chemical area.
Paul Becker is working successfully with chemical companies / consortia in the area of:
Caleb has recently cemented links with Dr Jason Yapp (Technical and Horticultural consultant) to assist in our work with Renewables. He has a strong background in sustainable plantation management and technical elements of `modern biomass` requirements for the generation of affordable, clean and carbon-neutral energy. He has been involved in the early assessment of the new technologies such as the development of a `Bio-refinery` for the torrefaction of agricultural and municipal wastes as high energy feedstock for co-firing a gasifier for heat and power generation.
Caleb has four main areas of interest:
Caleb is essentially an action oriented networking business that is well integrated in the various policy and practice groups within our chosen business areas. As a result of our successes, the company continues to grow and expand its resources. However, we have a clear policy of only growing by the direct employment of like-minded and committed people.
One of our measures of success in our role of stakeholder engagement and consensus building is the split of our client base. At present, only 20% of our work is with private clients. However, 35% is with trade associations, 30% with Governments and other regulators and the balance of 15% with other International Agencies such as the United Nations. This balance is very important to us in demonstrating our credibility with a variety of stakeholders, particularly within the Chemical Risk business area, where we always seek to be a mediation service rather than lobbying service.
Chemicals and Climate Change
Chemical Risk Appraisal and Management There are tens of thousands industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals and naturally occurring compounds that collectively act as building blocks for many valuable and life enhancing products and services enjoyed by most societies. However, there are also potential health and environmental impacts during extraction, manufacture and conversion of chemicals into useful items. In some cases, these can extend into the use and decommissioning phases of the lifecycle, creating the need for informed management techniques and policies. Part of the problem is that, the datasets for many long-standing industrial chemicals are incomplete with uses being `grandfathered` from previous generations. National and international regulators and public opinion are now rightly demanding more transparency from industry and a higher degree of scrutiny in most cases. Accordingly, just as all stakeholders have a responsibility for the problem, all have a role to play in the solution. Caleb is well placed to act in the area of `Chemical Risk Appraisal and Management` where this involves the engagement of stakeholders and the building of consensus on regulatory issues. The company has strong relationships with regulators throughout the world. However, because of our geographic location, these are probably at their strongest in the European Union where, the increasing expression of the precautionary principle in European Chemical Policy development is causing much angst at this time. Caleb has positioned itself to provide, not only alerting services, but also, more importantly, the capability to engage with regulators in order to provide balance to the argument and develop mutual understanding. We feel passionately that the chemical industry has failed to communicate its value to society and this often forms the first plank of our approach with regulators who are often looking for an over-simplistic answer to their perceived problems. In parallel, however, we do not shy away from explaining the stark responsibilities faced by an industry which has taken its `license to operate` for granted for too long. Among the chemicals that we are currently working with are phenol, resorcinol, formaldehyde and alkyl phenols. This takes us into the `mysterious world` of endocrine disruption and the even more mysterious efforts to harmonise test protocols and regulatory approaches. Other areas of specific interest are halogenated chemicals and particularly their persistent and bio-accumulative characteristics. Of course, a sub-set of this sector is the family of chlorfluorocarbons, which as ozone depleting substances have become a business unit all of their own!Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol The impact of temperature rise on sea levels and weather patterns is still emerging and such effects may never be fully attributed to global warming, since the mechanisms are too complex and the burden of proof is too great. The Precautionary Principle has become the basis on which action needs to be contemplated and the creation of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) following the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 became the first step in the regulatory response. IPCC continues to guide global policy development in this area and this contribution led to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. However, the political implications of climate change on economic growth and society`s current way of life are so pervasive that some Governments are still finding it difficult to fully engage the agenda. Although originally drawn into the Climate agenda by its Montreal Protocol interests, Caleb has extended its activities in areas where its technical expertise and policy experience have relevance. This has been particularly the case on the issue of building energy efficiency, where Caleb believes that there is a major opportunity to make significant and cost effective (in climate change policy terms) savings. In pursuit of this objective, Caleb has produced a series of reports in support of groups such as EuroACE to promote the importance of building energy efficiency at European level. Caleb also continues to advise the UK Government on the implementation of strategies (regulatory, fiscal and altruistic) in order to promote energy efficiency and has been particularly instrumental in the revision of thermal efficiency standards for pipe insulation. The company also continues to monitor the development of carbon trading schemes to assess their effectiveness in promoting good energy management. With its strong background in technology transfer and project management, Caleb is well placed to assist in renewable energy projects. Recently it has strengthened its team in the area of biomass technologies, where it believes that there are significant opportunities - particularly in village-based small-scale facilities in developing countries. Caleb believes that it can bring a holistic approach to the small-scale biomass concept by incorporating other sustainability parameters (e.g. biodiversity) into the design of projects. Caleb is seeking to share this experience with other project owners to develop more CDM biomass and biogas projects in China and Asia. Caleb provides strategic advisory and project development services by partnering with project owners to ensure that the carbon integrity of the project are realised and maximised. Caleb is now involved in missions to foster new partnerships for the development of high quality CDM projects in China for buyers in Europe, Canada and Japan. Dr. Jason Yapp, CDM specialist of Caleb, has completed the first CDM PDD for developing large-scale biogas plants for the conversion of pig waste into biogas for electricity generation in Henan, China for Asia Development Bank. Jason is a CDM Consultant specialising in developing high quality CDM projects for the conversion of agro-industrial biomass wastes into biogas for electricity generation for the agriculture, food, distillery and brewery sectors. Dr. Jason Yapp has been engaged by Asia Development Bank, Philippines as their staff CDM Consultant responsible for screening the CDM potential of their bilateral pipeline loans across Asia.
There are tens of thousands industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals and naturally occurring compounds that collectively act as building blocks for many valuable and life enhancing products and services enjoyed by most societies. However, there are also potential health and environmental impacts during extraction, manufacture and conversion of chemicals into useful items. In some cases, these can extend into the use and decommissioning phases of the lifecycle, creating the need for informed management techniques and policies. Part of the problem is that, the datasets for many long-standing industrial chemicals are incomplete with uses being `grandfathered` from previous generations. National and international regulators and public opinion are now rightly demanding more transparency from industry and a higher degree of scrutiny in most cases. Accordingly, just as all stakeholders have a responsibility for the problem, all have a role to play in the solution.
Caleb is well placed to act in the area of `Chemical Risk Appraisal and Management` where this involves the engagement of stakeholders and the building of consensus on regulatory issues. The company has strong relationships with regulators throughout the world. However, because of our geographic location, these are probably at their strongest in the European Union where, the increasing expression of the precautionary principle in European Chemical Policy development is causing much angst at this time. Caleb has positioned itself to provide, not only alerting services, but also, more importantly, the capability to engage with regulators in order to provide balance to the argument and develop mutual understanding. We feel passionately that the chemical industry has failed to communicate its value to society and this often forms the first plank of our approach with regulators who are often looking for an over-simplistic answer to their perceived problems. In parallel, however, we do not shy away from explaining the stark responsibilities faced by an industry which has taken its `license to operate` for granted for too long.
Among the chemicals that we are currently working with are phenol, resorcinol, formaldehyde and alkyl phenols. This takes us into the `mysterious world` of endocrine disruption and the even more mysterious efforts to harmonise test protocols and regulatory approaches. Other areas of specific interest are halogenated chemicals and particularly their persistent and bio-accumulative characteristics. Of course, a sub-set of this sector is the family of chlorfluorocarbons, which as ozone depleting substances have become a business unit all of their own!
The impact of temperature rise on sea levels and weather patterns is still emerging and such effects may never be fully attributed to global warming, since the mechanisms are too complex and the burden of proof is too great.
The Precautionary Principle has become the basis on which action needs to be contemplated and the creation of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) following the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 became the first step in the regulatory response. IPCC continues to guide global policy development in this area and this contribution led to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. However, the political implications of climate change on economic growth and society`s current way of life are so pervasive that some Governments are still finding it difficult to fully engage the agenda.
Although originally drawn into the Climate agenda by its Montreal Protocol interests, Caleb has extended its activities in areas where its technical expertise and policy experience have relevance. This has been particularly the case on the issue of building energy efficiency, where Caleb believes that there is a major opportunity to make significant and cost effective (in climate change policy terms) savings. In pursuit of this objective, Caleb has produced a series of reports in support of groups such as EuroACE to promote the importance of building energy efficiency at European level. Caleb also continues to advise the UK Government on the implementation of strategies (regulatory, fiscal and altruistic) in order to promote energy efficiency and has been particularly instrumental in the revision of thermal efficiency standards for pipe insulation. The company also continues to monitor the development of carbon trading schemes to assess their effectiveness in promoting good energy management.
With its strong background in technology transfer and project management, Caleb is well placed to assist in renewable energy projects. Recently it has strengthened its team in the area of biomass technologies, where it believes that there are significant opportunities - particularly in village-based small-scale facilities in developing countries. Caleb believes that it can bring a holistic approach to the small-scale biomass concept by incorporating other sustainability parameters (e.g. biodiversity) into the design of projects.
Caleb is seeking to share this experience with other project owners to develop more CDM biomass and biogas projects in China and Asia. Caleb provides strategic advisory and project development services by partnering with project owners to ensure that the carbon integrity of the project are realised and maximised. Caleb is now involved in missions to foster new partnerships for the development of high quality CDM projects in China for buyers in Europe, Canada and Japan.
Dr. Jason Yapp, CDM specialist of Caleb, has completed the first CDM PDD for developing large-scale biogas plants for the conversion of pig waste into biogas for electricity generation in Henan, China for Asia Development Bank. Jason is a CDM Consultant specialising in developing high quality CDM projects for the conversion of agro-industrial biomass wastes into biogas for electricity generation for the agriculture, food, distillery and brewery sectors. Dr. Jason Yapp has been engaged by Asia Development Bank, Philippines as their staff CDM Consultant responsible for screening the CDM potential of their bilateral pipeline loans across Asia.
Sustainability and Ozone Depletion
Sustainability and Its Impact on Business Planning The totality of our lives and countless other living organisms depends on a thin smear of green on the outside of a rocky ball spinning through space. Whether you are a proponent of the emergence of this amazing edifice `by chance` or `by design`, none of us can deny the beauty of this complex web of life, in which every organism is linked in some way to all others. Microbes, plants, insects, fish, birds and mammals all play their miraculous part in the cycles of energy, nutrients and waste that flow through our life support system Yet, in no time, geologically speaking, we have managed to ravage, pollute and systematically undermine the support system upon which all life depends. After 250 years of unfettered industrial progress, the web of life has started to unravel and even with an immense range of resources we have failed to create a world in which everyone has access to the basic requirements of food, shelter, healthcare and education. This is the situation now! What will happen in 2025 (comfortably within the lifetime of most readers of these pages and, certainly, their children) when the world`s population is projected to exceed 8 billion? There are those that believe that technology will overcome our current concerns and provide us with a way of continuing to grow economically and socially. Others believe that increasingly acute resource shortage is an inevitable consequence of current trends and that such shortages are most likely to end in human conflict. Over the past few years and in response to the situation outlined above, a new word has crept into our language to describe consumption and resource use in our society. This word is sustainability. It means quite simply our capacity for continuance into the long-term future. Whilst current concerns about non-sustainability largely have an environmental (or ecological) basis, it is clear that we can reach a situation of un-sustainability for economic and social reasons as well. Examples of social un-sustainability include: the use of forced labour or child labour or breeches of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The economic dimension of non-sustainability includes inappropriate allocation and distribution of scarce resources through force or illegal practices and the undermining of local economies associated with globalization. Caleb continues to develop a niche position in addressing `Sustainability and its impacts on business planning`, using a variety of tools and processes to understand and address specific challenges arising within businesses and other organizations. Caleb is authorized to deliver the foundation course in sustainable development for professionals issued by the Institution of Environmental Science.Ozone Depletion and the Montreal Protocol The discovery by Rowland and Molina back in 1974 of a potential mechanism by which stratospheric ozone could plausibly be depleted took the scientific and industrial world by storm. So much so, that it took a further 10 years for the world to come to terms with the implications. Even then, it was necessary to observe an actual ozone hole before the global community was mobilised to action. But mobilised it was, and the Montreal Protocol was the result in 1987. Since then, a series of measures has been introduced to curb the use of ozone depleting substances (CFCs, HCFCs, Halons and others) under the guidance of a group of Assessment Committees covering the science of ozone depletion, the effects of ozone depletion and the technical and economic aspects of transition. Caleb has been intimately involved in this process for over ten years with Paul Ashford serving as an active member of the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) as well as co-chair of the Technical Options Committee on Foams. Although the Montreal Protocol is held by many to be a success (and indeed it is), this should not belittle the challenges that remain both in phasing out the on-going use of ozone depleting substances in developing (Article 5(1)) countries and in the technical, economic and environmental impacts of the substitutes that are replacing ozone depleting substances. Caleb continues to be active in supporting individual governments and affected industry sectors throughout the world in the implementation of their phase-out strategies and this is likely to continue for at least another 5-10 years. This extends as far as specific project reviews in some cases. As progress is made in consumption phase-out, a growing focus is being placed on product end-of-life issues, where there are substantial further opportunities to mitigate emissions. Caleb has been a leading influence in this area, particularly in the insulation foam sector where blowing agents are effectively stored in closed cells. The Montreal Protocol also provides the global community with a marvelous case study when considering future environmental action. It is of little surprise, therefore, that many involved in the Montreal Protocol process are now assisting in other areas such as climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. Caleb is no exception and the company is particularly active in assessing the overall global warming impact of substitute chemicals and related technologies.
The totality of our lives and countless other living organisms depends on a thin smear of green on the outside of a rocky ball spinning through space. Whether you are a proponent of the emergence of this amazing edifice `by chance` or `by design`, none of us can deny the beauty of this complex web of life, in which every organism is linked in some way to all others. Microbes, plants, insects, fish, birds and mammals all play their miraculous part in the cycles of energy, nutrients and waste that flow through our life support system
Yet, in no time, geologically speaking, we have managed to ravage, pollute and systematically undermine the support system upon which all life depends. After 250 years of unfettered industrial progress, the web of life has started to unravel and even with an immense range of resources we have failed to create a world in which everyone has access to the basic requirements of food, shelter, healthcare and education.
This is the situation now! What will happen in 2025 (comfortably within the lifetime of most readers of these pages and, certainly, their children) when the world`s population is projected to exceed 8 billion? There are those that believe that technology will overcome our current concerns and provide us with a way of continuing to grow economically and socially. Others believe that increasingly acute resource shortage is an inevitable consequence of current trends and that such shortages are most likely to end in human conflict.
Over the past few years and in response to the situation outlined above, a new word has crept into our language to describe consumption and resource use in our society. This word is sustainability. It means quite simply our capacity for continuance into the long-term future.
Whilst current concerns about non-sustainability largely have an environmental (or ecological) basis, it is clear that we can reach a situation of un-sustainability for economic and social reasons as well. Examples of social un-sustainability include: the use of forced labour or child labour or breeches of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The economic dimension of non-sustainability includes inappropriate allocation and distribution of scarce resources through force or illegal practices and the undermining of local economies associated with globalization.
Caleb continues to develop a niche position in addressing `Sustainability and its impacts on business planning`, using a variety of tools and processes to understand and address specific challenges arising within businesses and other organizations.
Caleb is authorized to deliver the foundation course in sustainable development for professionals issued by the Institution of Environmental Science.
The discovery by Rowland and Molina back in 1974 of a potential mechanism by which stratospheric ozone could plausibly be depleted took the scientific and industrial world by storm. So much so, that it took a further 10 years for the world to come to terms with the implications. Even then, it was necessary to observe an actual ozone hole before the global community was mobilised to action. But mobilised it was, and the Montreal Protocol was the result in 1987.
Since then, a series of measures has been introduced to curb the use of ozone depleting substances (CFCs, HCFCs, Halons and others) under the guidance of a group of Assessment Committees covering the science of ozone depletion, the effects of ozone depletion and the technical and economic aspects of transition.
Caleb has been intimately involved in this process for over ten years with Paul Ashford serving as an active member of the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) as well as co-chair of the Technical Options Committee on Foams.
Although the Montreal Protocol is held by many to be a success (and indeed it is), this should not belittle the challenges that remain both in phasing out the on-going use of ozone depleting substances in developing (Article 5(1)) countries and in the technical, economic and environmental impacts of the substitutes that are replacing ozone depleting substances. Caleb continues to be active in supporting individual governments and affected industry sectors throughout the world in the implementation of their phase-out strategies and this is likely to continue for at least another 5-10 years. This extends as far as specific project reviews in some cases. As progress is made in consumption phase-out, a growing focus is being placed on product end-of-life issues, where there are substantial further opportunities to mitigate emissions. Caleb has been a leading influence in this area, particularly in the insulation foam sector where blowing agents are effectively stored in closed cells.
The Montreal Protocol also provides the global community with a marvelous case study when considering future environmental action. It is of little surprise, therefore, that many involved in the Montreal Protocol process are now assisting in other areas such as climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. Caleb is no exception and the company is particularly active in assessing the overall global warming impact of substitute chemicals and related technologies.
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