Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives
Encyclopedia
Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI) was established by Gunter Pauli
in 1994 at the United Nations University
(UNU) with the support of the Japanese Government. Three years before the Kyoto Protocol
was agreed upon in 1997 Pauli - a Belgian economist with a track record as an entrepreneur in business, science, culture and education - directed a team of scientists to design a new business model that operates without emissions and without waste. Inspired by the way ecosystems work, the research initiative proposed to cascade nutrients, materials and energy so that our production and consumption system uses all that is available.
Emphasizing the vast potential of such innovations, Gunter Pauli
initiated The Blue Economy
movement in 2010, stimulating entrepreneurship all over the world.
In 1996, the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) and Gunter Pauli
decided to create the ZERI Foundation with the goal to translate the designs into pioneering experiences. There are 26 project offices around the world.
Today, ZERI integrates a global network of creative minds which are looking for solutions to the principal challenges of the world. Starting from ideas, but always based on science and publicly available information, the common vision shared by each and every member of the ZERI network is to find and improve sustainable solutions for the society, from unreached communities to corporations inspired by what is locally available.
For ZERI it is important to work with many challenges at the same time in order to facilitate the synergy of multiple solutions and different organizational approaches. For ZERI the sustainable solutions are based on what is locally available, building on local culture and expertise but also taking the inspiration of the ecosystem with what is available.
“Business must first and foremost respect the license under which it is granted a right to operate: respond to the needs of the client. Government is not exempt from this golden rule: respond to the needs of the tax payer and the needs in the community. Unfortunately the current notions of leadership are based on power and control. Going beyond for ZERI means focusing on creating a future generation, working with young minds which believe in "impossible dreams". Throughout the stimulation of creativity and innovation, ZERI believes in affirming the creative potential of each individual and their unique contribution towards the development of themselves and their communities”.
To work in harmony with nature
does not mean abandoning science or becoming an escapist.
Science is the key driver to ZERI but it is the fun part of demystifying science and making a culture of enquiry possible for younger minds that has led to the creation of an extensive ZERI educational component through the format of using fairy tales.
ZERI explores the deep science that informs the workings of nature through stories which paves the way towards the creation of a new breed of scientists and entrepreneurs working with nature as opposed to being ignorant or even working against nature.
For ZERI the real investment lies in the creation of a present and future generation which is assured of sustainable livelihoods, capable of responding to the basic needs of all living species on Earth.
Brazil, Chile, Colombia (Bogota and Manizales), Ecuador, USA (Massachusetts, New Mexico)
Europe
Germany (Berlin, Ahlen), Italy (Torino), Spain (Madrid, Balear Islands, Canary Islands), Sweden
Africa
Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Austral-Asia
Bhutan, Fiji, India, Japan
Vice-President of the Club of Rome
Member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences
Former Member of the European Parliament and President of Globe Europe (2000–2009)
Prof. Dr. Ashok Khosla (India)
Chairman of Development Alternatives
President of IUCN
Co-president of the Club of Rome
Prof. Dr. Heitor Gurgulino de Souza (Brazil)
Secretary General of the Association of University Presidents
Former Rector of the UNU (1988–1997)
Prof. Dr. Jorge Reynolds Pombo (Colombia)
Scientist and Inventor
Prof. Yasuhiro Sakakibara (Japan)
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Gunter Pauli
Gunter Pauli is a serial entrepreneur and initiator of The Blue Economy.- Life and Business :Gunter Pauli was born in 1956...
in 1994 at the United Nations University
United Nations University
The United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
(UNU) with the support of the Japanese Government. Three years before the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
was agreed upon in 1997 Pauli - a Belgian economist with a track record as an entrepreneur in business, science, culture and education - directed a team of scientists to design a new business model that operates without emissions and without waste. Inspired by the way ecosystems work, the research initiative proposed to cascade nutrients, materials and energy so that our production and consumption system uses all that is available.
Emphasizing the vast potential of such innovations, Gunter Pauli
Gunter Pauli
Gunter Pauli is a serial entrepreneur and initiator of The Blue Economy.- Life and Business :Gunter Pauli was born in 1956...
initiated The Blue Economy
The Blue Economy
The Blue Economy: 10 years - 100 innovations - 100 million jobs is a book by Gunter Pauli. The book expresses the ultimate aim that a Blue Economy business model will shift society from scarcity to abundance "with what we have", by tackling issues that cause environmental and related problems in...
movement in 2010, stimulating entrepreneurship all over the world.
Main principle
The main principle of ZERI is that the only species capable of making something no one desires, is the human species.In 1996, the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) and Gunter Pauli
Gunter Pauli
Gunter Pauli is a serial entrepreneur and initiator of The Blue Economy.- Life and Business :Gunter Pauli was born in 1956...
decided to create the ZERI Foundation with the goal to translate the designs into pioneering experiences. There are 26 project offices around the world.
Today, ZERI integrates a global network of creative minds which are looking for solutions to the principal challenges of the world. Starting from ideas, but always based on science and publicly available information, the common vision shared by each and every member of the ZERI network is to find and improve sustainable solutions for the society, from unreached communities to corporations inspired by what is locally available.
For ZERI it is important to work with many challenges at the same time in order to facilitate the synergy of multiple solutions and different organizational approaches. For ZERI the sustainable solutions are based on what is locally available, building on local culture and expertise but also taking the inspiration of the ecosystem with what is available.
“Business must first and foremost respect the license under which it is granted a right to operate: respond to the needs of the client. Government is not exempt from this golden rule: respond to the needs of the tax payer and the needs in the community. Unfortunately the current notions of leadership are based on power and control. Going beyond for ZERI means focusing on creating a future generation, working with young minds which believe in "impossible dreams". Throughout the stimulation of creativity and innovation, ZERI believes in affirming the creative potential of each individual and their unique contribution towards the development of themselves and their communities”.
To work in harmony with nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
does not mean abandoning science or becoming an escapist.
Science is the key driver to ZERI but it is the fun part of demystifying science and making a culture of enquiry possible for younger minds that has led to the creation of an extensive ZERI educational component through the format of using fairy tales.
ZERI explores the deep science that informs the workings of nature through stories which paves the way towards the creation of a new breed of scientists and entrepreneurs working with nature as opposed to being ignorant or even working against nature.
For ZERI the real investment lies in the creation of a present and future generation which is assured of sustainable livelihoods, capable of responding to the basic needs of all living species on Earth.
ZERI offices around the world
The AmericasAmericas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
Brazil, Chile, Colombia (Bogota and Manizales), Ecuador, USA (Massachusetts, New Mexico)
Europe
Germany (Berlin, Ahlen), Italy (Torino), Spain (Madrid, Balear Islands, Canary Islands), Sweden
Africa
Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Austral-Asia
Bhutan, Fiji, India, Japan
ZERI international board
The Rt Hon Anders Wijkman (Sweden)Vice-President of the Club of Rome
Member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences
Former Member of the European Parliament and President of Globe Europe (2000–2009)
Prof. Dr. Ashok Khosla (India)
Chairman of Development Alternatives
President of IUCN
Co-president of the Club of Rome
Prof. Dr. Heitor Gurgulino de Souza (Brazil)
Secretary General of the Association of University Presidents
Former Rector of the UNU (1988–1997)
Prof. Dr. Jorge Reynolds Pombo (Colombia)
Scientist and Inventor
Prof. Yasuhiro Sakakibara (Japan)
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
External links
- Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives
- http://www.zerilearning.org
- http://www.blueeconomy.de