Issues on sustainability

development for engineers

Ir Siow Yun Tong MIEM, PEng

Look at your surroundings

Definition

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.
The

root word, sustain means longlasting or viable over a long period

Sustainable energy: Solar

Solar

power towers utilize the natural

resource of the Sun, and are a
renewable energy source.

Sustainable energy: Wind

The

natural resource of
wind powers 5 MW wind
turbines on this wind
farm 28 km off the coast
of Belgium, EU.

Further explained
In

other words:

Sustainable

Development is the challenge of

meeting human needs for natural resources,
industrial products, energy, food,
transportation, shelter, and effective waste
management
while conserving and protecting environmental
quality and the natural resource base essential
for future development.

Are we moving toward a solution?

Comparison to sustainable eng

Priority in sustainability view

In graphics

Sustainable development

Scheme

of sustainable development:
at the confluence of three constituent
parts. (www.sustainabledevelopmentinfo.com)

Concepts of

It

Sustainable development

contains within two key concepts:

the

concept of 'needs', in particular the

essential needs of the world's poor, to which
overriding priority should be given.
the idea of limitations imposed by the state
of technology and social organization on the
environment's ability to meet present and
future needs.

Categories of

Sustainable development

The

concept of sustainable development

was originally synonymous with that of
sustainability.
Sustainability can be viewed in the
following aspect:
Environmental

sustainability
Economic sustainability
Agricultural sustainability

Environmental sustainabilityidea
Process

of making sure current

processes of interaction with the
environment are pursued with the idea of
keeping the environment as pristine as
naturally possible based on ideal
seeking behaviour.

Environmental sustainabilityapply
Demands

society designs activities to meet

human needs while indefinitely preserving
the life support systems of the planet.
Example, using water sustainably, utilizing
renewable energy, and sustainable material
supplies (e.g. harvesting wood from forests at
a rate that maintains the biomass and
biodiversity).

Our Blue Planet - Earth

As

seen from
Apollo 17 on 7
December
1972.
It is a
marvelous and
amazing sight
to behold.
Cherish it.

Economics sustainability
Economic

development has traditionally

required a growth in the gross domestic
product.
This

model of unlimited personal and GDP growth

may be over.

Sustainable

development may involve

improvements in the quality of life for many but,
particularly for the affluent, may necessitate a
decrease in resource consumption.

Capitals of

Sustainable development

The

sustainable development is based

on the assumption that societies need to
manage three types of capital, that is :
Economic

ensuring survival and

enrichment of people in business activity
Social lifestyle and well being of society
Natural safeguarding natural resources

Erosion of natural capital

Deforestation

of native rain forest in

Brazil, in extracting clay soil for human
habitat development.

Threat to biodiversity

Deforestation and increased road-building in the

Amazon Rainforest are a significant concern because
of increased human encroachment upon wilderness
areas, increased resource extraction and further
threats to biodiversity.

Sustainable agriculture
Agroforestry
Mixed

farming
Multiple cropping
Crop rotation

Viability of

Sustainable development

For

sustainable development to happen,

there has to be commitment and legal
means through the following:
Rule of law
Good governance

And

this permeates all stakeholders, i.e.

government, private sectors and individuals.

Rule of law and Good governance are the

foundation for achieving sustainable development.

Rule of Law
Rule

of law is used to mean

independent, efficient, and accessible
judicial & legal systems, with a
government that applies fair & equitable
laws equally, consistently, coherently,
and prospectively to all of its people.
Rule of law encourages low rates of
corruption.

Meaning of Good Governance

Good

Governance is characterized by

Accessibility
Accountability
Predictability
Transparency

Effect of Good Governance

Good

Governance allows clear

decision-making procedures at the level
of public authorities.
Good Governance will have the ability
to enforce rights & obligations through
legal mechanisms.

Relation to sustainable development: Rule of law

Rule

of law gives confidence on

economic actors in increasing investment,
in turn, accelerate economic growth and
subsequently increase government
resources to invest in education, social
safety, and sound environment
management, all of which are in favour for
sustainable development.

Relation to sustainable development: Good

governance
Good

Governance allows for sound and

efficient management of human, natural,
economical, and financial resources for
sustainable development.
Sustainable Development cannot be
achieved unless laws governing the
society, the economy, and our relationship
with the earth, are put into practice and
connect with our deepest values.

Circle of sustainabilitynext slide

The

image shows the sustainability of

the metropolis of Melbourne across the
four domains of sustainability economics, ecology, politics and culture
- as developed by the UN Global
Compact, Cities Programme.
The image was developed by Paul
James on 4 July 2012.

Measuring tool of sustainability

Besides

Melbourne city, other cities in

the world can make use of the circle of
sustainability template to assess how
issues of sustainable development are
being addressed or implemented.
Results may be subjective, but it is a
good start to put the issue in the
forefront of awareness by the public.

Sustainable engineering
The

process of designing or operating

systems such that they use energy and
resources sustainably, i.e., at a rate that
does not compromise the natural
environment, or the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
More

specific for engineering

"Sustainable development is development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.

What engineers can do

Water

supply
Food production
Housing and shelter
Sanitation and waste
management
Energy development
Transportation
Industrial processing

Development

of
natural resources
Clean up polluted
waste sites
Siting and planning
projects to reduce
environmental and
social impacts
Morenext slide

Further actions needed

Restoring

natural environments such as

forests, lakes, streams, and wetlands
Improving industrial processes to
eliminate waste and reduce consumption
Recommending the appropriate and
innovative use of technology

Innovation for sustainability

Sustainable

urban design and

innovation: Photovoltaic ombrire SUDI
is an autonomous and mobile station
that replenishes energy for electric
vehicles using solar energy.

Achievements at international level

The

World Engineering Partnership for

Sustainable Development (WEPSD) was formed
and they are responsible for the following areas:
redesign engineering responsibilities and ethics to
sustainable development,
analyze and develop a long term plan,
find solution by exchanging information with partners
and using new technologies, and
solve the critical global environment problems, such
as fresh water and climate change.

International joint efforts by others

Earth

Charter was restarted as a civil

society initiative.
The World Bank, United Nations
Environmental Program, and the Global
Environment Facility joined programs for
sustainable development.

National efforts accomplished by some

Developed

environmental policies, codes of

ethics, and sustainable development
guidelines. [How is Malaysia faring?]
Launched programs for engineering
students and practicing engineers on how to
apply sustainable development concepts in
their work. [Is this on?]
Developed new approaches in industrial
processes [How successful are we?]

Future goals 1
Creating

a comprehensive program to
identify and provide the information that
engineers in developing countries require
to meet energy, water, food, health, and
other basic human needs;
Give education for student and practicing
engineers to make them realize the
importance of sustainability and become
environment generalists;

Future goals 2
Engaged

in decision-making processes
and performing projects;
Develop better approaches with the
consideration of a projects environmental
costs, impacts, and conditions throughout
a projects life cycle; and
Improve the education on sustainability
and provide help in developing countries.

Meaning of sustainable design

Sustainable

design (also called

environmental design, environmentally
sustainable design, environmentally
conscious design, etc.) is the philosophy
of designing physical objects, the built
environment, and services to comply
with the principles of social, economic,
and ecological sustainability.

Theory behind sustainable design

The

intention of sustainable design is to

"eliminate negative environmental
impact completely through skillful,
sensitive design".
McLennan,

Jason. F. (2004), The

Philosophy of Sustainable Design.

Principles sustainable design

Low-impact

materials
Energy efficiency
Quality and durability
Design for reuse and recycling
Design impact measures for total carbon
footprint and life-cycle assessment
Sustainable design standards and project
design guides and others

Sustainable house design

Transport for the future?

Solar-powered

design

vehicle sustainable

Green vehicle

Human habitat in the seas

Sustainable

living on high seas the

Venus Project

Recommended further reading

Karel

Mulder,
Sustainable
Development For
Engineers A
Handbook and
Resource Guide
April 2006, Greenleaf
Publisher.

Conclusion
Quoted
It

in Karl Mulders book:

is crucial that engineers - from students to

those already practising - have a deep
understanding of the environmental threats
facing the world, if they are to become part
of the solution and not the problem.
Engineers are in a privileged and hugely
influential position to innovate, design and
build a sustainable future.

The End
NextEngineering Design Process

Green Building in Malaysia

SIRIM

promotes green building

techniques.
Green Building Index (GBI) was jointly
founded and developed by PAM and
ACEM in 2009.
GBI (M) is a profession driven initiative
to lead the property industry towards
becoming more environment-friendly.

GBI has local support

Raise

awareness among Developers,

Architects, Engineers, Planners,
Designers, Contractors and the Public
about environmental issues.
Malaysias Green Building Index or
GBI(M) will be the only rating tool for the
tropical zones other than Singapore
Governments GREENMARK.

GBI for tropical climates

GBI(M)

parameters are within the

tropical climatic conditions. Its scoring
priorities are very much customized for
the current state of Malaysia where a lot
of priority is given to energy and water
efficiency scores.

Difference with other regions

GBI(M)

differs markedly from

Singapore's GREENMARK thus
understandably GBI(M)rating priorities
should be like-wise customized to suit
both to Malaysian climate and also the
current state of the countrys
development and existing resources.

Additional lecture slides

WHAT IS THE GREEN BUILDING

INDEX?
The

Green Building Index (GBI) is

Malaysias industry recognised green rating
tool for buildings to promote sustainability in
the built environment and raise awareness
among Developers, Architects, Engineers,
Planners, Designers, Contractors and the
Public about environmental issues and our
responsibility to the future generations.

Purpose of GBI 1
Define

green buildings by establishing a

common language and standard of
measurement;
Promote integrated, whole-building
designs that provides a better
environment for all;
Recognise and reward environmental
leadership;

Purpose of GBI 2
Transform

the built environment to

reduce its negative environmental
impact;
Ensure new buildings remain relevant in
the future and existing buildings are
refurbished and upgraded to improve the
overall quality of our building stock.