MODULE -1

CIVIL ENGINEERING FACULTY

DSATM
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ROLE OF
ENGINEERS

• Introduction, Why and What is Sustainable

Development, THE SDFs, Paris Agreement and Role of
Engineering, Sustainable Development and the
Engineering Profession, Key attributes of the Graduate
Engineering
WHAT IS SUSTIANABILITY

• Sustainability means meeting our own needs without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.
• In addition to natural resources, we also need social and
economic resources. Sustainability is not just environmentalism.
• Embedded in most definitions of sustainability we also find
concerns for social equity and economic development.
WHERE DOES THE TERM COME FROM?

• While the concept of sustainability is a relatively new idea, the

movement as a whole has roots in social justice,
conservationism, internationalism and other past movements
with rich histories. By the end of the twentieth centuries, many
of these ideas had come together in the call for ‘sustainable
development.’
 THE BRUNTDLAND COMMISSION

• In 1983, the United Nations tapped former Norwegian prime minister Gro
Harlem Brundtland to run the new World Commission on Environment and
Development.
• After decades of effort to raise living standards through industrialization,
many countries were still dealing with extreme poverty.
• It seemed that economic development at the cost of ecological health and
social equity did not lead to long-lasting prosperity. It was clear that the
world needed to find a way to harmonize ecology with prosperity
WHAT IS BRUNTLAND COMMISSION
DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY
• After four years, the “Brundtland Commission” released its final report,
Our Common Future. It famously defines

“sustainable development as: development that meets the

needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
SUSNTAINABILITY MEANS LONG LASTING

• Sustainability is a holistic approach that considers

ecological, social and economic dimensions,
recognizing that all must be considered together
to find lasting prosperity.
THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

• Ecological integrity is maintained, all of earth’s

environmental systems are kept in balance while natural
resources within them are consumed by humans at a
rate where they are able to replenish themselves.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

• Human communities across the globe are able to maintain

their independence and have access to the resources that
they require, financial and other, to meet their needs.
Economic systems are intact and activities are available
to everyone, such as secure sources of livelihood .
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

• Universal human rights and basic necessities are attainable by

all people, who have access to enough resources in order to
keep their families and communities healthy and secure.
• Healthy communities have just leaders who ensure personal,
labour and cultural rights are respected and all people are
protected from discrimination.
IS ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY COMPLEX?

• The motivations behind sustainability are often

complex, personal and diverse. It is unrealistic to create
a list of reasons why so many individuals, groups and
communities are working towards this goal.
• Yet, for most people, sustainability comes down to the
kind of future we are leaving for the next generation.
IS SUSTAINABILITY A CRITERIA IN EVERY
ASPECT OF LIFE

• Sustainability as a value is shared by many individuals and

organizations who demonstrate this value in their policies,
everyday activities and behaviours.
• Individuals have played a major role in developing our current
environmental and social circumstances.
• The people of today along with future generations must create
solutions and adapt.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• "Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs of
the present, without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their own needs."
CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in

many different ways, but at its core is an approach to
development that looks to balance different, and often
competing, needs against an awareness of the environmental,
social and economic limitations we face as a society.
IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS ALL ABOUT
ENVIRONMENT
• Living within our environmental limits is one of the central principles of
sustainable development. One implication of not doing so is climate change.
• But the focus of sustainable development is far broader than just the
environment. It's also about ensuring a strong, healthy and just society. This
means meeting the diverse needs of all people in existing and future
communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and inclusion,
and creating equal opportunity.
APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• A sustainable development approach can bring many benefits in the short

to medium term, for example:
• Savings - As a result of SDC scrutiny, government has saved over millions
by improving efficiency across its estate.
• Health & Transport - Instead of driving, switching to walking or cycling
for short journeys will save you money, improve your health and is often
just as quick and convenient.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT ME ( ATTITUDE)

• The way we approach development affects everyone. The impacts of our

decisions as a society have very real consequences for people's lives.
• Poor planning of communities, for example, reduces the quality of life for
the people who live in them. (Relying on imports rather than growing food
locally puts any nation at risk of food shortages.)
 WILL IT HELP TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL?

• Sustainable development provides an approach to making better

decisions on the issues that affect all of our lives.
• By incorporating health plans into the planning of new
communities, for instance, we can ensure that residents have easy
access to healthcare and leisure facilities.
• By encouraging more sustainable food supply chains, we can
ensure our nation has enough food for the long-term future.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN

• We all have a part to play. Small actions, taken collectively, can

add up to real change. However, to achieve sustainability in the
our country we believe the Government needs to take the lead.
• The SDC's job is to help make this happen, and we do it through
a mixture of scrutiny, advice and building organisational
capacity for sustainable development.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION(SDC)

• The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC)

was a non-departmental public body responsible for
advising the UK Government, Scottish Government, 
Welsh Assembly Government, and 
Northern Ireland Executive on sustainable development
.
ALL INDIA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL

• The Sustainable Development Council (SDC) an International

Non Profit aims to inspire, encourage and facilitate the
realisation of a global network of SDC worldwide where
businesses, NGOs, policy makers, civil society and the general
public can work together to achieve the SDGs.
WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM TECHNOLOGY ND
INDUSTRY
• Imagine a world where poverty doesn’t exist, where inequalities are a thing of the
past, where everyone has access to quality education, good healthcare, nutritious
food and clean water, where economic growth is sustainable – and doing all this
while taking urgent climate action and protecting the life in our waters and on land.
• Our vision is of a world where people – through science, technology,
engineering and maths – have been at the forefront of achieving this.
•  
LINKEDIN UPDATES OF SDC INDIA

• https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/aisdcglobal/?originalSubdomain=in
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
(SDF)

• Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF) is a non-profit,

non-governmental foundation registered under society’s act
1860 in May 2006.
• It is a pool of researchers, scientists, implementers and policy
scholars who believes in sustainable action for all spheres of
life.
GOALS OF SDF

• SDF is committed with the concept of sustainable development - living

within the limits of the natural environment and livelihoods without
compromising the needs of future generations.
• Conventional development practices only increase the gap between the
haves and the have-nots. SDF aimed to develop such mechanisms and
institutional systems, which are needed to achieve equitable and
environmentally sound development.
WHAT IS COMPRISED OF SDF

• SDF will continue to lobby governments and policy-makers,

conduct research, influence policy makers, and work with
business and industry to address global threats to the planet by
seeking long-term solutions.
• SDF emphasizes on building local capacities to meet the
development challenges of the next era. Its belief is to help
communities in search of sustainable solutions for their issues.
SDF NEW DELHI

• Sustainable Development Foundation is a non-governmental organization

(NGO) working in Delhi, India. The registration number of the
organization is: S-21194(20-07-1990).
• Established in the year 1990, Sustainable Development Foundation works
in the area of Advocacy and Research, Children, Civic Issues, Disaster
Management, Education & Literacy, Environment and natural resource
management,
 SARTHAK SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
FOUNDATION (SSDF)
• A not for profit organization was institutionalized on 21st September 2020
with its Headquarter located at Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh. It is registered
under section 7 and sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013
(18 of 2013) and rule 18 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014.
• The foundation of SSDF rests upon creating sustainable opportunities and
values through building skills and systems for the deprived people that
empowers them to move out from the vicious cycle of poverty.
OBJECTIVES OF SDF

1.To undertake activities related to rendering of health services and facilities.

Conducting awareness program and training, prevention of diseases, screening tests,
alternative medicine, medical education, opening of hospital for providing good health
to both human beings and animals and to do all kinds of tasks to protect health;
2.To work for Educational Development through Operation of all types of education
for the development of human resources; Establishment of skill and capacity
development and training centre, opening of school, colleges and institutions of higher
education and learning for the welfare of the society; 
OBJECTIVES OF SDF

3.To work towards Agriculture Development: To work towards Soil Conservation,

development of advanced seeds, improved organic farming method, irrigation
system, watershed management and natural resource development, preservation of
traditional agricultural methods etc;
4.To implement on its own or in collaboration with other NGOs, funding agencies,
the corporate sector, other private organizations or the Government, developmental
and capacity building projects or Programs for the benefit of the society.
OBJECTIVES OF SDF

5.To work towards Environmental Protection and Promotion by reducing and

eliminating all types of pollution, while preserving and promoting bio-diversity,
useful for every organism.
6.To work for Livelihood Promotion and Income Generation Programs for the poor
and the marginalized and people in need, To promote Khadi Village Industry,
Cottage Industry, Traditional Workmanship and Livelihood through various types
of skill capacity development training, workshop and Facilitation Center and to do
all kinds of work income generation.
OBJECTIVES OF SDF

7. To function as a nodal centre for communication, information

data and documentation on developmental issues, human resource
management issues and problems for the benefit of the public .
SDF GOALS

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.
• The objective was to produce a set of universal goals that meet the urgent
environmental, political and economic challenges facing the world.
• The SDGs are a bold commitment to finish what the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) started, and tackle some of the more pressing challenges.
17 GOALS OF SDG

• All 17 Goals interconnect, success in one-goal motivates for the

success of others.
• For example, dealing with the threat of climate change impacts how
we manage our fragile natural resources, achieving gender equality or
better health helps eradicate poverty, and fostering peace and inclusive
societies will reduce inequalities and help economies prosper.
 FOCUS OF SDF

• Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present,
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
• The focus of sustainable development is far broader than just the environment. It's also
about ensuring a strong, healthy and just society.
• This means meeting the diverse needs of all people in existing and future communities,
promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion, and inclusion, and creating equal
opportunity.
• The rampant growth of industry had adversely affected the environment and is also
against the ethos of sustainable development
 SDG INDIA INDEX - BASELINE REPORT 2018

• NITI Aayog undertook the extensive exercise of measuring India and its
States’ progress towards the SDGs for 2030, culminating in the development
of the first SDG India Index - Baseline Report 2018.
• The SDG India Index is intended to provide a holistic view of the social,
economic and environmental status of the country and its States and UTs.
• It has been designed to provide an aggregate assessment of the performance
of all Indian States and UTs and to help leaders and change makers evaluate
their performance on social, economic and environmental parameters.
• The Index has been constructed spanning across 13 out of 17 SDGs (leaving
out Goals 12, 13, 14 and 17).
• It tracks the progress of all the States and Union Territories (UTs) on a set of
62 National Indicators, measuring their progress on the outcomes of
interventions and schemes of the Government of India.
• The SDG Index Score for Sustainable Development Goals 2030 ranges
between 42 and 69 for States and between 57 and 68 for UTs.
PERFORMANCE OF STATES

• Among the States, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the front runners with an SDG
India Index score of 69. Among the UTs, Chandigarh is a front-runner with a score
of 68.
• Kerala’s top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing good health,
reducing hunger, achieving gender equality and providing quality education.
• Himachal Pradesh ranks high in providing clean water and sanitation, in reducing
inequalities and preserving mountain ecosystem.
•Among the UTs, Chandigarh takes the lead because of its exemplary
performance in providing clean water and sanitation to its people.
•On the other hand states like Assam, Bihar and UP have featured badly in the
index as their score was below 49.
•The Index can be useful to States/UTs in assessing their starting point on the
SDGs in the following ways, by
•Supporting States/UTs to benchmark their progress against national targets and
performance of their peers to understand the reasons for differential
performance and devise better strategies to achieve the SDGs by 2030
• Among the UTs, Chandigarh takes the lead because of its exemplary
performance in providing clean water and sanitation to its people.
• On the other hand states like Assam, Bihar and UP have featured badly in the
index as their score was below 49.
• The Index can be useful to States/UTs in assessing their starting point on the
SDGs in the following ways, by
• Supporting States/UTs to benchmark their progress against national targets
and performance of their peers to understand the reasons for differential
performance and devise better strategies to achieve the SDGs by 2030
• Supporting States/UTs to identify priority areas in which they need to
invest and improve by enabling them to measure incremental progress.
• Highlighting data gaps related across SDGs for India to develop its
statistical systems at the national and State levels.
SDG’S AND INDIA COMMITTMENT

• Clean Fuel
• India introduces BS-VI petrol and diesel.
• Delhi will be the first city to leapfrog from BS-IV to BS-VI.
• 13 major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, etc. will make the
shift from 1st Jan 2019.
• The rest of the country will make the change from April 2020 next
year.
• No Plastics
• India has pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by
2022.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• ISA is a group of 121 solar rich countries which are situated either on or
between the tropics.
• Aims to deploy over 1000 GW of solar energy and mobilize more than
$1000 billion into solar power by 2030.
• Climate Change
• To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from
2005 level.
• To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from
non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of
technology and low-cost international finance, including from Green Climate
Fund.
• To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2
equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT
AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCED), EARTH SUMMIT

• Since 1990, the international community has convened 12 major

conferences which have committed Governments to address
urgently some of the most pressing problems facing the world today.
• Taken together, these high profile meetings have achieved a global
consensus on the priorities for a new development agenda for the
1990s and beyond. 
PURPOSE OF THSES CONFERENCES

• This continuum of conferences represents a remarkable achievement for the

United Nations system. Through the conference process the entire international
community has come together to agree on shared values, on shared goals and on
strategies to achieve them.
• This effort shows one of the United Nations system's greatest strengths: the ability
to move from consciousness-raising to agenda-setting to agreement on action by
Member States to follow-up on conference commitments and to effective
assistance for the countries that need help in realizing their commitments .
RIO-1992

• The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

(UNCED), also known as the 'Earth Summit', was held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, from 3-14 June 1992. This global conference, held on the occasion
of the 20th anniversary of the first Human Environment Conference in
Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972, brought together political leaders, diplomats,
scientists, representatives of the media and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) from 179 countries for a massive effort to focus on
the impact of human socio-economic activities on the environment. 
CONCLUSION OF RIO 1992

• The 'Earth Summit' concluded that the concept of sustainable development

was an attainable goal for all the people of the world, regardless of
whether they were at the local, national, regional or international level.
• It also recognized that integrating and balancing economic, social and
environmental concerns in meeting our needs is vital for sustaining human
life on the planet and that such an integrated approach is possible
RESULTS OF EARTH SUMMIT

• One of the major results of the UNCED Conference was Agenda 21, a

daring program of action calling for new strategies to invest in the future
to achieve overall sustainable development in the 21st century.
• Its recommendations ranged from new methods of education, to new ways
of preserving natural resources and new ways of participating in a
sustainable economy.
 ACHIEVMENT

• The 'Earth Summit' had many great achievements: the Rio Declaration and

its 27 universal principles, the 
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
the Convention on Biological Diversity; and the 
Declaration on the principles of forest management .
• The 'Earth Summit' also led to the creation of the 
Commission on Sustainable Development, the holding of first world
conference on the sustainable development of small island developing
States in 1994, and negotiations for the establishment of the 
agreement on straddling stocks and highly migratory fish stocks.
 PARIS AGREEMENT

• The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate

change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December
2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.
• Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees
Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
• To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global
peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate
neutral world by mid-century.
WHAT IS PARIS AGREEMENT

• The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate

change process because, for the first time, a binding
agreement brings all nations into a common cause to
undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt
to its effects.
HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Implementation of the Paris Agreement

requires economic and social transformation,
based on the best available science. The Paris
Agreement works on a 5- year cycle of
increasingly ambitious climate action carried out
by countries. By 2020, countries submit their
plans for climate action known as nationally
determined contributions (NDCs).
WHAT ARE NDC’S

• In NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take

to reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions in order to reach
the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also communicate
in the NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to
adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures. 
 LONG-TERM STRATEGIES

• To better frame the efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement
invites countries to formulate and submit by 2020 long-term low
greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS).
• LT-LEDS provide the long-term horizon to the NDCs. Unlike NDCs, they
are not mandatory. Nevertheless, they place the NDCs into the context of
countries’ long-term planning and development priorities, providing a vision
and direction for future development.
HOW ARE COUNTRIES SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER?

• The Paris Agreement

provides a framework
for financial, technical and
capacity building
support to those countries
who need it. 
 FINANCIAL SUPPORT

• The Paris Agreement reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead
in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and
more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary
contributions by other Parties.
• Climate finance is needed for mitigation, because large-scale investments are
required to significantly reduce emissions. Climate finance is equally
important for adaptation, as significant financial resources are needed to
adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate.
TECHNOLOGY

• The Paris Agreement speaks of the vision of fully realizing

technology development and transfer for both improving
resilience to climate change and reducing GHG emissions. It
establishes a technology framework to provide overarching
guidance to the well-functioning Technology Mechanism. The
mechanism is accelerating technology development and transfer
through it’s policy and implementation arms.
CAPACITY BUILDING

• Not all developing countries have sufficient capacities to deal

with many of the challenges brought by climate change.
• As a result, the Paris Agreement places great emphasis on
climate-related capacity-building for developing countries
and requests all developed countries to enhance support for
capacity-building actions in developing countries.
 TRACKING PROGRESS

• With the Paris Agreement, countries established an enhanced transparency

framework (ETF). Under ETF, starting in 2024, countries will report transparently
on actions taken and progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and
support provided or received. It also provides for international procedures for the
review of the submitted reports. 
• The information gathered through the ETF will feed into the Global stocktake which
will assess the collective progress towards the long-term climate goals.
• This will lead to recommendations for countries to set more ambitious plans in the
next round
 WHAT IS BEEN ACHIEVED SO FAR

• Although climate change action needs to be massively increased to achieve the

goals of the Paris Agreement, the years since its entry into force have already
sparked low-carbon solutions and new markets. More and more countries,
regions, cities and companies are establishing carbon neutrality targets. Zero-
carbon solutions are becoming competitive across economic sectors representing
25% of emissions. This trend is most noticeable in the power and  transport
sectors and has created many new business opportunities for early movers.
• By 2030, zero-carbon solutions could be competitive in sectors representing
over 70% of global emissions.
ENGINEERS IN SUSTAINABILITY

• Engineers play an integral role in shaping our interaction with

the world. The decisions we make on a day-to-day basis through
our work can have a range of environmental, social and
economic impacts.
 CLIMATE CHANGE

• Global climate change is one of the greatest environmental threats

facing the world. Human activities such as the burning of fossil
fuels and deforestation over the past 150 years have led to the
emissions of massive amounts of greenhouse gases (eg carbon
dioxide and methane). These gases are increasing the amount of
heat trapped in the atmosphere leading to changes in climate faster
than at any time since the transition from the last ice age 10,000
years ago 
•  Theconsequences will be grave: large rises in sea level causing
widespread coastal flooding; more severe weather (droughts in
some areas, storms in others); and major threats to agriculture
and natural ecosystems. Those affected most will be those
already vulnerable today: people in poorer countries and
endangered wildlife.
HOW ARE ENGINEERS INSTRUMENTAL

• The choices that society makes on the use of engineering today

and in the near future will be instrumental in determining
whether we successfully tackle the problem or not. In this paper
I briefly outline some of the main technical options for dealing
with climate change, and highlight the ethical dilemmas that
surround these options.
 REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES

• Because so many human activities result in emissions of

greenhouse gases (GHGs), there is a very wide range of possible
ways of reducing these emissions. Here I focus on three areas of
particular importance to engineering:
• Changes in energy production
• Improvements in energy-efficiency by technical means
• Reducing GHG emissions by social means
 CHANGES IN ENERGY PRODUCTION

Energy production can be changed in several ways to reduce emissions. For a

start we can switch away from coal and oil to gas, as gas emits only half the
CO2 of coal and two-thirds the CO2 of oil per Joule of energy used. A further
way is to expand the use of Combined Heat and Power (CHP or cogeneration)
plants.
Such plants use the waste heat from electricity production to provide space
heating or hot water for local buildings. Whereas conventional plants
producing electricity work at efficiencies of about 35% to 45%, CHP plants
work at efficiencies of up to 85%.
 ETHICAL DILEMMAS FOR ENGINEERS

There are four main ethical questions I will tackle in this section:
1.Will nuclear power cause more problems than it solves?
2.Is CO2 capture & storage an acceptable option?
3.Are improvements in technical efficiency just undermined by more
consumption?
4.Will reducing GHG emissions conflict with international development?
 WILL NUCLEAR POWER CAUSE MORE
PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES?
• The issue of whether to build new nuclear power stations as a way of
tackling climate change is one of the most controversial areas. There are four
basic problems with nuclear power: connection with nuclear weapons;
disposal of radioactive waste; safety of nuclear installations; and cost.
• Nuclear power plants use highly enriched uranium (HEU) as fuel. HEU (at
higher enrichment levels) can be used to produce nuclear weapons.
Following use in the reactor, the spent fuel includes significant amounts of a
variety of isotopes of plutonium.
• While the plutonium from a civil nuclear reactor is not classified as 'weapons
grade' (because it has a high fraction of the higher isotopes of plutonium),
reprocessing of the fuel converts it to a form which can more easily be
weaponised.
• The current tensions over North Korea and Iran's nuclear plants, not to mention
the possible theft from, eg, badly secured stores of Russian HEU demonstrate
that these issues still have major international security implications.
PROBLEMS WITH NUCLEAR WASTE

• Radioactive waste is also of serious concern. A typical 1 giga-watt

nuclear power plant produces 32 tonnes of high level waste
(including uranium and plutonium), and approximately 300 m3 of
low and intermediate level waste each year [5]. The high level
waste is of particular concern because of its very hazardous nature.
Discussions still rage about its long-term disposal.
 IS CO2 CAPTURE & STORAGE AN ACCEPTABLE
OPTION?
• CO2 capture and storage (CCS) raises a number of ethical issues. The first is whether
the CO2 injected into the ground will leak out. Current research indicates that the
CO2 will remain, but it is still a technology in the early stages of development.
Further concerns include the way in which it will support the continued use of fossil
fuels.
• The extraction and transport of fossil fuels have significant non-climate
environmental and social impacts, eg oil tanker spills and damage to ecosystems
during oil extraction. Perhaps the strongest concern is that it will continue to
exacerbate geo-political problems, eg in the Middle East. Related to this is the
concern that R&D in this area will divert finance away from renewable energy.
ARE IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY
JUST UNDERMINED BY MORE CONSUMPTION?

• When energy efficiency is improved it obviously leads to a drop in the

amount of energy that can be sold by suppliers. To compensate (which is
the same for any business whose sales fall), the suppliers try to lower the
price so that people are encouraged to consume more. Unfortunately, such
a response can undermine the original energy savings.
• The simplest way around this is for energy prices to be increased by the
use of taxes.
• The particular taxation method of most relevance to climate change
is carbon taxes, whereby the tax is determined by the emissions of
CO2 per Joule of energy. Unfortunately, many large businesses
involved in energy generation and use oppose such taxes because of
the potential cost to their business. However some businesses have
more progressive environmental policies and support such taxes.
WILL REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS CONFLICT WITH
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

• A criticism which has been levelled by some of the developing world is that, if they
are forced to reduce GHG emissions, this may increase the costs of energy and
hence undermine their efforts to tackle poverty. Hence it is crucial that the richer
industrial nations assist in the transition to cleaner energy generation and use.
• One aspect of particular benefit to poorer communities is simpler 'intermediate'
technologies. These technologies, which include some renewable energy
technologies like small-scale hydro and wind, tend to be easier to maintain and
cheaper.
 AN ETHICAL AGENDA FOR ENGINEERS?

• It is very difficult to define exactly what an ethical approach to tackling climate change is.
Rather than make pronouncements that any particular technology or approach is ethical or
not ethical, I make a series of recommendations of which areas deserve the most attention
from engineers.
• Given that there are options for tackling climate change which have clear benefits, working
in these areas should be a priority. These options are:
• renewable energy technologies because they produce zero GHG emissions during operation;
• power storage technologies, including hydrogen technologies, which can assist in the
deployment of intermittent renewable energy sources;
• large technical changes in efficiency, eg CHP or fuel cells;
• technologies that support social change, eg buses/bikes rather than
planes/cars;
• intermediate renewable and energy efficiency technologies that will be of
particular value to communities in poorer countries.
• Seek employment with organisations with strong environmental and social
policies, including supporting eco-taxes.
WHAT IS ENGINEERING

• “Engineering: The art of directing the great 
sources of power and Nature to the use and 
benefit of Man.” -Thomas Tredgold, 1818 
ENGINEERING AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOMENT
• Engineering integrates with all aspects of society; it takes concepts from m
aths and sciences and puts them into context through social and economic 
considerations before implementing them as tangible outcomes insociety. 
• It is essential that engineering understands social and environmental constr
aints and does not just conform to economic necessities. The purely busine
ss influence has been the paradigm norm of engineering, which has led to t
he problems outlined above.
BILL KELLY

• “Social responsibility is not a new issue for the engineering profession. It i
s fundamental to defining engineering as a profession. Following the conce
pt that the outward part of an engineer's social responsibility is affecting p
ublic policy, the engineering profession is challenged today to help define 
social responsibly as part of defining the principles and practices of sustain
able development. 
 6 PRINCIPLES THAT EVERY ENGINEER SHOULS
ADHERE TO

• Contribute to building a sustainable society, present and future

• Apply professional and responsible judgement and take a
leadership role
• Do more than just comply with legislation and codes
• Use resources efficiently and effectively
• Seek multiple views to solve sustainability challenges
ATTRIBUTES OF GRADUATE ENGG

• In accordance with the Washington Accord, all accredited

Canadian engineering institutions must demonstrate that the
graduates of their programs possess the attributes described
under the following headings:
• Knowledge base for engineering
• Problem Analysis
• Investigation
• Design
• Use of engineering tools
• Innovation and team work
• Communication skills
• Professionalism
• Impact of engineering on society and the environment
• Ethics and equity
• Economics and project management
• Lifelong learning
ANALYZE YOUR SURROUNDINGS

• Refrigerant is a medium for conveying heat.

• Air conditioners transfer heat while circulating refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units.
• Although there are various types of refrigerants, R-32 is a new refrigerant currently receiving the
most interest.
Because R-32 efficiently conveys heat, it can reduce electricity consumption up to approximately
10% compared to that of air conditioners using refrigerant R-22. Furthermore, compared to the
refrigerants widely used today such as R-22 and R-410A, R-32 has a global warming potential
(GWP) that is one-third lower and is remarkable for its low environmental impact.
VALUES FOR 100 YEAR GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL (GWP) FROM
IPCC FOURTH ASSESSMENT REPORT. COMPARATIVE 100 YEAR GWP:
HFC410A, 2,090; HFC32, 675.
DAIKIN LAUNCHED THE WORLD'S FIRST RESIDENTIAL-USE
AIR CONDITIONER
USING R-32.

• Various refrigerants have been used in air conditioners until now.

Regulations have increasingly become stricter from greater consideration
for the global environment because of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and
the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, resulting in a shift to refrigerants with even
lower environmental impact.
WHY R-32

• R-32 also has an ozone depletion potential of 0, the refrigerant

has only approximately 1/3 of the GWP of R-410A.
Consequently, investigation of this promising next generation
refrigerant has increased.
• However, because R-32 had been an extremely difficult refrigerant to
handle, its use was not practical until now. Daikin became the world’s first
company to succeed in applying R-32 to air conditioners by leveraging its
expertise as the only manufacturer that develops and manufactures both air
conditioners and refrigerants.
• Currently, R-410A is the refrigerant most commonly used in
developed countries. However, if all R-410A were converted to
R-32, the impact to global warming from HFCs in 2030 would
be reduced by the CO2 equivalent of approximately 800 million
tons (19%) compared to the continued use of R-410A.*2
IS R-32 VERIFIED

• In India, verification tests were conducted for inverter type R-32 air
conditioners. In executing training for the proper handling of R-32, the
technical level also improved. Consequently, Daikin has received requests
from various governments, including the Thai and Malaysian
governments, and the company is beginning to target local manufacturers
for technical assistance for conversion to R-32.
Such efforts as those mentioned above have earned Daikin high acclaim
and a variety of awards.
APPLIANCES THAT NEED TO BE VERIFIED FOR
GW
• 1. Refrigerator
• 2) freezers
• 3) Air conditioners
• 4) electricity based devices as electricity generated via. coal burning
SUSTAINABILITY ENGINEERING CONCEPTS

• Sustainable engineering is “the process of using resources in a way that does

not compromise the environment or deplete the materials for future
generations.” Source: UNESCO
• As the very name suggests, it’s all about designing and operating daily systems
in such a way that the energy and resources that they use are sustainable - that
is, they are used at a rate that doesn't compromise the natural environment and
its ability to be used by future generations to meet their own needs .
COMMON FOCUSES OF SUSTAINABILITY

• Food production and preservation

• Housing and shelter
• Waste disposal and management
• Pollution reduction
• Water supplies
• Energy development and consumption
• Transportation
• Restoring natural resource environments
• Improvements in industrial processes
 ROLE OF ENGG GRADUATE

• The overall responsibility of a sustainable engineer is to design technologies

and implement various processes and systems that can prevent and control a
range of environmental risks, as well as restoring and even reversing
environmental damage. 
• Often referred to as ‘environmental engineers,’ sustainable engineers use
their strong foundations in science, geography and engineering to promote
and provide a healthier environment for the globe. 
FACTOR 4

• The Factor Four concept visualizes a quadruple increase in resource

efficiency using existing methodologies whilst avoiding negative impacts
on the overall quality of life. The concept aims for society to last twice as
long or enjoy twice as much whilst using half the resources and placing
half the pressure on the environment.
WHAT IT FEATURES

• Factor Four moves away from labour productivity and towards resource
productivity and sustainability. By using best available technology,
advanced engineering and improved production methods, fewer resources
are required to produce more products and services.
• As a result, the life span of resources is stretched and future generations
provided for. In other words, four times as much wealth can be extracted
from the resources we currently use.
WHERE IT IS USED

• Factor four is used in decision making; production; and product-

oriented environmental protection.
• Fundamentally, Factor Four is an economic idea. Reducing
resource use by a factor of four is not a fixed target. Rather
technologies and processes should aim to increase resource
efficiency.
ORGANIZATIONAL PROPONENT

• Ernst von Weizsäcker, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins first put
forward the Factor Four concept in 1997 in their book Factor Four:
Doubling Wealth - Halving Resource Use (Earthscan Publications Ltd.,
London, 1997 [11995]).
CASE STUDIES AND EXAMPLES

• 1. Recycling Carpets
Most used carpets in Europe are sent to landfills or waste incineration
plants. However, several European companies collect, sort and identify
used carpets according to fibre type. The carpet or carpet components are
then reused or recycled into underlays, insulation, cement clinker,
synthetic vehicle components, fuel pellets, new carpets, etc.
 BENEFITS

• Less energy - recycling carpets consumes less energy than manufacturing new carpets.
• Less virgin materials - new products made from recycled carpets require less virgin material (by a
factor of 4).
• Materials diverted from landfill - saving land use for landfills by a factor of 4.
• Environmental protection - recycling halves the greenhouse effect, acidification, nutrification and
toxicity of carpeting and reduces the ozone-emitting-potential by 80%.
• Financial savings - automation makes the sorting and identification process economically feasible.
• New jobs are created.
• Market advantage - recycling and the recyclablity of carpets gives manufactures a completive
advantage.
DIRT REPELLENT SURFACES USING NATURE AS
A MODEL
• Many plants have leaves with a rough surface that naturally repel water. As
water runs off the leaves in little beads, it also washes away dirt.
Technological advancements allow scientists to replicate this water-
repellent effect in materials such as house paint; tiles; glass panes; plastic
sheets; and roof tiles.
• The result: materials that naturally repel dirt and are therefore self-
cleaning or require minimal effort to clean.
BENEFITS

• Less water and cleaning products utilised.

• Surfaces are more durable and scratch resistant, thereby requiring less repair work,
maintenance, replacement, etc.
• Surfaces stay dryer longer, thereby preventing algae.
• Surfaces last longer and age better.
• Surfaces are more aesthetically pleasing and take much less time to clean.
• When used on vehicle windshields, visibility is improved.
 TARGET SECTORS / STAKEHOLDERS

• The main stakeholders of Factor Four are industry, research

institutions, governments and consumers. Developed nations are
targeted more than developing nations.
SCALE OF OPERATIONS

• Factor Four is applicable world-wide, however, it is

best implemented at a business level.
FACTOR 10

• Factor 10 states that over the next 30 to 50 years (one generation) a

decrease in energy use and material flows by a factor of 10 and an increase
in resource productivity/efficiency by a factor of 10 is required to achieve
dematerialisation.
• That is, to attain sustainability and environmental protection we need to
reduce resource turn over by 90% on a global scale, within the next 50
years.
 MAIN FEATURES

• Countries around the globe are consuming resources at an untenable rate,

with developed nations consuming more than they should. Schmidt-Bleek et
al (1999) note that developed nations account for 20% of the global
population yet consume 80% of the world's resources.
• As such, developed nations are promoting an unsustainable model of
development. Consequently, if nations want to ensure they do not exceed the
planet's carry capacity and want to provide adequate resources for future
generations, a change in resource use and development models are required.
The Factor 10 concept can help achieve this.
• Factor 10 is a long-term concept and as such, governments or business
working to short term plans may have difficulty achieving factor 10
reductions. Since Factor 10 aims to decrease energy and resource use, it
helps governments work towards multi-lateral environmental agreements.
• Business and governments implementing the Factor 10 concept have used
tools such as eco-efficiency, environmental purchasing design for
environment, policies and environmental taxes.
 ORGANIZATIONAL PROPONENT

• Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek from the Wuppertal Institute

for Climate, Environment and Energy (Germany) first
proposed the Factor 10 and dematerialisation concepts
in the early 1990s.
 CASE STUDIES AND EXAMPLES

• 1. Household Appliances
Environment Enterprise @ RMIT (Australia) investigated emission and
resource use reductions through partial or full replacement of existing
household appliances with equipment using best available technology.
Behaviour modification was not considered.
• The study found that technological advancements had reduced material and
resource use in appliances by a factor of 1.6 to 3.4, depending on appliance.
The study noted that further technological advancements might result in a big
jump in eco-efficiency.
• 2. Transport and Housing
Open University (UK) examined the potential for Factor 10 reductions of
environmental impacts for personal transport, housing and higher
education over the next 50 years. The study found that some sectors could
reduce their environmental impact quicker than others. The study argued
that a combination of eco-design, new product services and production and
consumption modifications are required to reduce environmental impacts.
• 3. Factor 10 Strategies
The International Factor 10 Club noted that the Austrian and Norwegian Governments
have adopted a Factor 10 strategic goal. The World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) has asked businesses to adopt a strategic target of factor 20 for
resource productivity increases.
• 4. Plastic Bags
A tax on plastic bags in Ireland resulted in a factor 10 (90%) reduction in plastic bag
usage.
TARGET SECTORS / STAKEHOLDERS

• The main stakeholders of Factor 10 are governments, industry, research

institutions, non-government organisations, businesses and industry groups.
Consumers and the insurance industry drive Factor 10 through purchasing or
insurance policies that require energy and resource efficient products.
• Factor 10 clubs and institutes, established either nationally or internationally,
utilise a multi-disciplinary approach to promote and bring about the realisation
of the Factor 10 concept.
SCALE OF OPERATION

• Although Factor 10 is a global issue, it is predominantly

targeted to developed nations. Factor 10 is best implemented at
a national level by businesses and government
LIFE CYCLE THINKING

• Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) is about going beyond the

traditional focus on production site and manufacturing
processes to include environmental, social and
economic impacts of a product over its entire life cycle.
 GOALS OF LIFE CYCLE THINKING

• The main goals of LCT are to reduce a product’s resource

use and emissions to the environment as well as improve
its socio-economic performance through its life cycle.
• This may facilitate links between the economic, social
and environmental dimensions within an organization
and through its entire value chain.
WHAT LIFE CYCLE SAYS

• In each life cycle stage there is the potential to

reduce resource consumption and improve the
performance of products.
 APPROCAHING LCT

• Over the past two decades, life cycle thinking has provided a conceptual
basis for moving the agenda forward. Life cycle approaches and tools have
been developed, refined, are now more commonplace in the private and
public sector, and are already stimulating and supporting the transition to a
green economy.
• There are many approaches, programmes and activities in the life cycle
thinking basket that are essential in a green economy. These have been
developed to assist in decision-making at all levels regarding product
development, production, procurement, and final disposal. 
HOW TO APPROACH LCT

• They can be used in all sectors, and offer the possibility to

examine a range of key impact categories and indicators,
assessing the environmental and social impacts (e.g. 
Environmental LCA and Social LCA, carbon footprint, 
water footprint, etc.), as well as the ultimate effects of these
on all three key sustainability pillars (e.g. 
life cycle sustainability assessment).
ROLE OF LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT

• Life cycle thinking is made operational through 

Life Cycle Management (LCM). LCM is a management approach that
puts the tools and methodologies in the life cycle thinking basket into
practice.
• It is a product management system that helps enterprises to minimize
the environmental and social burdens associated with their product or
product portfolio during its entire life cycle.
INTEGRATION OF LCM TO ISO

• The integration of LCM into enterprise operations is similar to that

of the ISO 9000 and 14000 standards in that it favours a cyclical
plan-do-check-act approach, and thereby provides a basis for
continual improvement. The benefits , insights and inspiration from 
examples shows how life cycle thinking, management, and
approaches are being developed and implemented in practice around
the world.
 BENEFITS OF LCT

• life cycle approach can help us make choices. It implies that everyone in the
whole chain of a product’s life cycle, from cradle to grave, has a
responsibility and a role to play, taking into account all the relevant impacts
on the economy, the environment and the society.
• The impacts of all life cycle stages need to be considered comprehensively by
the citizens, the companies and the governments, when they make decisions
on consumption and production patterns, policies and management strategies.
• A life cycle approach enables product designers, service providers,
government agents and individuals to make choices for the longer term
and with consideration of all environmental media (i.e., air, water, land).
Life cycle approaches avoid shifting problems from one life cycle stage to
another, from one geographic area to another and from one environmental
medium (for example air quality) to another (for example water or land).
INDUSTRY BENEFITS

• By integrating the life cycle perspective in overall management and bringing

product and process development in a more sustainable direction, the
organisation can harvest the benefits of environmental, occupational health and
safety, risk and quality management, as well as developing and applying cleaner
process and product options.
• Incorporating life cycle and sustainability management will improve image and
brand value for both world market players as well as smaller suppliers and
producers.
 BENEFITS FOR GOVERNMENT

• Governmental initiatives will not only secure and strengthen the position of
the industrial and service sectors in regional and global markets, but also
ensure overall environmental benefits to society (balanced with economic
and social aspects).
• By engaging in supportive programmes and initiatives and implementing 
life-cycle approaches, governments can show global responsibility and
governance by sharing and disseminating sustainability options world-
wide.
BENEFITS FOR CONSUMERS

• LCT will help point consumption in a more sustainable direction by

offering better information for purchasing, transport systems, energy
sources, to guide consumers.
• It offers a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue and public involvement
with industries and governments, going from local agenda to national and
international strategies for sustainable development.
• A life cycle approach enables product designers, service providers,
government agents and individuals to make choices for the longer term and
with consideration of all environmental media (i.e., air, water, land). Life cycle
approaches avoid shifting problems from one life cycle stage to another,
from one geographic area to another and from one environmental medium
(for example air quality) to another (for example water or land).
ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY WITH LIFE CYCLE APPROACHES

• The sustainability framework (Figure) describes a scheme where

sustainability is achieved through the use of life cycle approaches,
programmes and activities, and is supported by relevant and reliable
datasets, as well as an appropriate policy framework.
• You may take a look at the figure below to understand the
framework proposed in phase III.
LCA AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

• Life Cycle Assessment, also known as Life Cycle Analysis,

(LCA) is a process for evaluating the environmental impacts of
a product or service over the course of its entire life. It is often
used to determine the best performing product, service, or other
solution, at a given point in time, in terms of specific
environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions.
REASONS TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH LCA

• It favours short term gain over systemic change

• It ignores hard to measure impacts
• It only measures what you tell it to measure and relies on
assumptions
HOW TO USE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT FOR A
CIRCULAR ECONOMY TRANSITION
• Highlight areas of improvement :
• Life Cycle Analysis can be used to identify impact hotspots within the life
cycle of a specific solution – such as highlighting the stage in a product’s
life that is particularly resource intensive or polluting – and then help
assess how well different options for that part of the lifecycle address those
impacts.
• Test against changing external factors
• Life Cycle Assessments can be used to investigate the impact of
external factors that might vary between geographies or with
time – for example, changes in the energy mix, development of
recycling infrastructure, or deployment of a new technology.
This can be done by changing the input parameters of an LCA.
•  Compare similar solutions
• LCA is most likely to be able to give a clear answer when most
parts of the system remain the same. For example, LCA could
be used to compare the carbon emissions of two different
packaging material choices, when all other parts of the business
model are the same.
• Use LCA in later stages of innovation
• An LCA is most useful when there is reliable input data and fewer unknowns. Once
it is clear how materials and resources will flow through the system, an LCA can be
more effective.
• The later stages of an innovation process, such as during scale up or when
improving an existing system, therefore might be the best time to carry out LCAs.
Care should be taken when using LCA in the early stages of an innovation process.
DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A ROLE IN
ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY

??????
Thank you