The Blue Economy
A Report to the Club of Rome 2009
one innovative
business model
each week
Prof. Dr. Gunter Pauli
Founder Director of the ZERI Foundation
for 100 weeks
Member of the Club of Rome
Professor Systems Design at the Faculty of Architecture Politecnico di Torino © 2011, Pauli
ZERI The Blue Economy
Background on ZERI
Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives
1994 Design a business model without waste or emissions
supported by the Japanese government (until 1997),
hosted by United Nations University
1996 Creation of the ZERI Foundation in cooperation with UNDP
2000 Most popular pavilion at the World Expo in Germany
Presenting 7 innovative economic development models
2004 Start of 5 year research project on 100 innovations that
shift the economic system towards a more competitive and
sustainable model responding to needs using what we have
ZERI The Blue Economy
Background on “100 Innovations”
2005-2007 A team of researchers identified +2.200 innovations
in peer group reviewed scientific literature,
published in international journals
2007-2008 A team of business strategists, journalists, financiers
assess the most relevant innovations based on
(1) competitive business model
(2) environmental breakthroughs, cut in energy
(3) major job generator
2008-2009 Meeting all the key scientists and entrepreneurs
2010 Book: “The Blue Economy: 100 innovations10 years 100 million jobs.”
2010 onwards Focus on implementation
ZERI The Blue Economy
Background on The Blue Economy
A 350 page book backed-up by 10,000 pages of documentation
A Report to the Club of Rome (2009)
Keynote presentation to UNIDO’s General Assembly (December 2009)
Foreword by Achim Steiner, Executive Director UNEP and
Ashok Khosla, President of IUCN. Endorsed by UNEP.
34 language editions including braille
Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian,Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Serbian, Turkish, Finnish, Hungarian,
Romanian, French, Dutch, German, English (US, Australia, South Africa, India), ...
By mid-2011 - creation +100 enterprises inspired by The Blue Economy
ZERI The Blue Economy
Each week a case study
open source on
<www.blueeconomy.de>
Prof. Gunter Pauli
Author Blue Economy
Founder ZERI
ZERI The Blue Economy
Each week a case study
open source on
<www.blueeconomy.de>
Prof. Gunter Pauli
Author Blue Economy
Founder ZERI
x x x
End of Batteries Cheap Shiitake Silk Razors Maggot health
ZERI The Blue Economy
Case Study 1
x x x
Substituting batteries with NO batteries
Fraunhofer Institute (Germany) operates the first cell phones without
batteries. Dr. Jorge Reynolds (UK and Colombia) operates pacemaker
without batteries. This is the end of the green battery.
This leads to a complete redesign of all portable micro-electronic
equipment from hearing aids, to MP3 players.
There is more than one technology that permits this breakthrough
design, all have been scientifically proven and prototypes exist.
Implementation decreases quest for mining and smelting.
ZERI The Blue Economy
Case Study 2
Cascading Coffee Waste into Shiitake Mushrooms
The Colombia Coffee Federation demonstrated scientifically that coffee
waste is ideal for farming mushrooms, and the waste substrate is great animal
feed. This is the end of the simple composting or burning agro-waste.
This leads to the provision of food security while farming an export crop.
This already generated 15,000 jobs in Colombia. Now Zimbabwe, Kenya,
Ghana are following suit. Women spearhead the program.
Spent coffee from cafés in California, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam generate
inner-city jobs, making cheap shiitake. Starbucks partners branding waste.
Widespread implementation decreases methane emissions.
ZERI The Blue Economy
Case Study 3
Silk competes with Titanium
The Silk Group of Oxford University demonstrated that silk can be
reconditioned with pressure and water control making it stronger than
titanium. This is the end of metals destined for landfill.
There are already 5 companies implementing this technology.
Time has come to expand applications to consumer products. This
creates jobs and supports sustainable agriculture.
Implementation requires more silk, only obtained through more
reforestation, creating top soil and sequestering carbon massively.
ZERI The Blue Economy
Case Study 4
Converting Offal into Wound Treatment
The University of Bradford (UK) demonstrated that the enzymes of
maggots treat leg ulcers better than any other, even those infected by
MRSA, the antibiotic resistant bacteria. This is the end of antibiotics.
Maggots are produced by feeding offal to flies. The enzymes, only 0.2%
are extracted. The life maggots rich in protein are fed to quails and fish.
This gives value to offal, especially in Africa and generates jobs. Benin
pioneers this process at industrial scale. Germany invests €100 mio.
Implementation cleans up abattoirs and offers local health treatments.
ZERI The Blue Economy
Eliminating Combustion Engines
“putting cash in the local economy”
ZERI The Blue Economy
El Hierro Island in Spain
ZERI The Blue Economy
El Hierro Island in Spain
ZERI The Blue Economy
Wind, hydro and wave power
ZERI The Blue Economy
Total Capacity 12MegaWatt
ZERI The Blue Economy
Economics of Electric Vehicles
batteries are leased
investment in recharge of generation of marine
up to 80% recharge
batteries (4 units) power
capacity - 10 years life
€43 mio €3.3 mio
(ELIIY Japan standard)
€10 per week
small consumer
electricity sold at fixed income over 7 years
€20 per week
rate per week €58 mio
large consumer
available for investments in
consumption per car
SD
14.5 kW/hr
€11.7 mio
ZERI The Blue Economy
6,000 cars on the island cost per car €11,000 total cost €66 mio
paid by customer €9,000 total cost €54 mio
subsidy €12 mio
ZERI The Blue Economy
Soichiro Honda
Some dream to escape reality
Others dream to change reality forever
ZERI The Blue Economy
Soichiro Honda
Some dream to escape reality
Others dream to change reality forever
will you change reality forever with us?
<www.zeri.org>
ZERI The Blue Economy
