UNIT-IV
Sustainability and Management
Development, GDP, Sustainability - concept, needs and challenges - economic,
social and aspects of sustainability - from unsustainability to sustainability -
millennium development goals and protocols - Sustainable Development Goals-
targets, indicators and intervention areas Climate change - Global, Regional and
local environmental issues and possible solutions - case studies. Concept of Carbon
Credit, Carbon Footprint. Environmental management in industry - A case study.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to transform our world. They
are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and ensure
that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. It is critical that no one is left
behind.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the layout to achieve a better and
more sustainable world for all by 2030.
• The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a universal plan for all countries
to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.
• Sustainable Development goals are a call for action to address a series of global
challenges, such as: poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation and
justice.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• A growing number of corporations use SDGs to orient, prioritize and report on
their CSR activities.
• The SDGs are an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
which aims at fostering a more sustainable future.
• Adopted by 193 countries in 2015, the SDGs emerged from the most inclusive
and comprehensive negotiations in UN history and have inspired people from
across sectors, geographies and cultures.
Sustainable Development
• Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet
their own needs.
• Development means improving people's lives. Sustainable development means
extending progress without exhausting resources, beyond the future
requirements.
True sustainable development
• The true, sustainable development aims at optimum use of natural resources
with high degree of reusability, minimum wastage, least generation of toxic and
maximum productivity.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
1. Five Principles of Sustainable Development
• The principles of sustainable development involve safeguarding and using
existing resources in a sustainable way to enhance the long-term management of
and investment in, human, social and environmental resources, which is more
important than ever due to the evidence of diminishing natural resources and the
impacts of unsustainable development.
• Following are five important principles of sustainable development.
1. Living within environmental limits
2. Achieving a sustainable economy
3. Promoting good governance
4. Using sound science responsibly
5. Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society
• The principles form the basis of national sustainable development strategies and
action plans. These principles helped formulate the national sustainable
development strategy and these principles are used to assess all policies and
actions.
• In addition to the five agreed principles a sixth principle is now added : To
promote opportunity and innovation.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
2. Sustainable Development Aspects
• Three aspects of sustainable development are recognisedas :
1. Economic : An economically sustainable system must be able to produce goods
and services on a continuing basis, to maintain manageable levels of government
and external debt and to avoid extreme sectoral imbalances which damage
agricultural or industrial production.
2. Environmental : An environmentally sustainable system must maintain a stable
resource base, avoiding over-exploitation of renewable resource systems or
environmental sink functions and depleting non-renewable resources only to the
extent that investment is made in adequate substitutes. This includes
maintenance of biodiversity, atmospheric stability and other ecosystem functions
not ordinarily classed as economic resources.
3. Social : A socially sustainable system must achieve distributional equity,
adequate provision of social services including health and education, gender
equity and political accountability and participation.
Sustainable Development Multidimensional Concept
• Sustainable development is a multidimensional concept, which involves
continuous decision making of interlinked issues such as environment, social
community and economy. Fig. 4.2.1 shows important aspects of sustainable
development.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• All the aspects are integrated and balanced without compromising the ability of
present and future generations to meet their needs.
• Each of the three areas is commonly referred to as a system : Economic
systems, environmental systems and social systems each have their own logic. It.
is an impossible task to analyze all these systems at once.
• Different indicators can be used to measure different dimensions of
sustaihability. Indicators imply measurement; measurement implies the
theoretical definition of concepts to measure.
3. Agenda for Sustainable Development
• In 1992, Earth Summit was held at Rio de Janeiro of Brazil. A declaration of the
summit is - "a new and equitable global partnership through the creation of new
levels of co-operation among states."
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• Agenda 21 of the summit proposes - "sustainable development starts from
environmental policy. Social and economic equity are the other requirements of
sustainable development."
• The important points of this agenda 21 are -
1. Carrying capacity based developmental planning process.
2. A preventive environmental policy.
3. Structural economic change.
4. The enlarged role of environmental management tools like -
* Environmental Impact and Risk Assessment (EIRA),
* Environmental Audit (EA),
* Life Cycle Assessment (LCA),
* Natural Resource Accounting (NRA).
4. Objectives of Sustainable Development
1. To promote equity and fairness.
2. To improve quality of human life.
3. Sustaining of natural resources.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
4. Protecting ecosystem.
5. To fulfill international obligations.
6. Considering economic and environmental in decisions.
7. To consider system as a whole.
8. Long term planning and implementation.
5. Factors Affecting Sustainable Development
1. Renewable and non-renewable resources.
2. Population growth and population density.
3. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita.
4. Consumption of energy and environmental resources.
5. Pollution.
6. Conservation / Use of land.
7. Poverty gap index.
8. Environmental awareness, education, literacy.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
6. Threats to Sustainability
• Various threats to sustainability are
1. Resource depletion
3. Loss of resilience
2. Waste accumulation
4. Loss of regionality
5. Threats to biological diversity
6. Threats to food chain
7. Emerging diseases for animals
Sustainable Agriculture
• Sustainable agriculture is a type of agriculture of producing food grains, fibers,
plants, animal products or live stocks using farming techniques that protect the
environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare.
• The sustainable agriculture enables us to produce healthful food without
compromising future generations' ability to do the same.
• Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals - environmental health,
economic profitability and social and economic equity.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• The goal of sustainable agriculture is the responsibility of all participants in the
system, including farmers, labourers, policymakers, researchers, retailers and
consumers. Each group has its own part to play, its own unique contribution to
make to strengthen the sustainable agriculture community.
• Several other goals of sustainable agriculture are conserving water, reducing the
use of fertilizers and pesticides and promoting biodiversity in crops grown and the
ecosystem.
• Sustainable agriculture also focuses on maintaining economic stability of farms
and helping farmers improve their techniques and quality of life.
1. Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture
• There are many benefits of sustainable agriculture and broadly they can be
divided into human health benefits and environmental benefits.
1. Human health benefits
• In terms of human health, crops grown through sustainable agriculture are
better for people. Due to the lack of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, people are
not being exposed to or consuming synthetic materials. This limits the risk of
people becoming ill from exposure to these chemicals.
• In addition, the crops produced through sustainable agriculture can also be
more nutritious because the overall crops are healthier and more natural.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
2. Environmental benefits
• Sustainable agriculture has also had positive impacts of the environment. One
major benefit to the environment is that sustainable agriculture uses 30 % less
energy per unit of crop yield in comparison to industrialized agriculture. This
reduced reliance on fossil fuels results in the release of less chemicals and
pollution into the environment.
• Sustainable agriculture also benefits the environment by maintaining soil
quality, reducing soil degradation and erosion and saving water.
• In addition to these benefits, sustainable agriculture also increases biodiversity
of the area by providing a variety of organisms with healthy and natural
environments to live in.
Organic Farming
• Organic farming works in harmony with nature rather than against it. The
organic farming involves using techniques to achieve good crop yields without
harming the natural environment or the people who live and work in it.
• Organic farming is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and
fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including soil
organisms, plants, livestock and people.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which
promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological
cycles and soil biological activity.
• Organic farming emphasises the use of management practices in preference to
the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require
locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible,
agronomic, biological and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic
materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system.
• The principal goal of organic production is to develop enterprises that are
sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
1. Principles of Organic Farming
• The general principle of organic production includes the following :
1. Protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease
pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health.
2. Maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for biological activity
within the soil.
3. Maintain biological diversity within the system.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
4. Recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the
enterprise.
5. Provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the behavioural
needs of livestock.
6. Prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing and handling
methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the
products at all stages of production.
7. Rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural system.
2. Advantages of Organic Farming
1. Saving : The production cost is reduced because no need to buy expensive
chemicals and fertilizers.
2. Easy switch : Farmers can easily switch from conventional farming to organic
farming.
3. Healthier farm workers.
4. Production boost : When the farmer starts using the organic method of
farming then he observes a production boost. The reason of this boost is the
usage of crop rotation, compost pits and manure.
5. In the long term, organic farms save energy and protect the environment.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
6. Revenue generation : The demand of organic food is more than that of its
supply and this factor boosts up the price of organic food. Therefore, when the
farmers sell the organic foods in the market then they earn more income. High
income is an important advantage of organic farming due to which many farmers
turn toward this method.
7. Organic farming helps in reducing global warming.
8. Organic farming causes fewer residues in food.
9. Biodiversity promotion : More animals and plants can live in the same place in
a natural way. This is called biodiversity.
10. Organic farming helps preventing ground water pollution.
3. Disadvantages of Organic Farming
1. Organic food is more expensive because farmers do not get as much out of
their land as conventional farmers do. Organic products may cost up to 40 %
more.
2. Time consuming : Organic farming method is time consuming and it is one of
the biggest disadvantages of organic farming. The farmer has to maintain the
greater interaction for getting good results. It is a labor intensive job and for a
single farmer it is somewhat unsuitable.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
3. Production costs are higher because farmers need more workers.
4. Marketing and distribution is not efficient because organic food is produced in
smaller amounts.
5. Food illnesses may happen more often.
6. Organic farming cannot produce enough food that the world’s population
needs to survive. This could lead to starvation in countries that produce enough
food today.
Bio-Fuel
• Bio-fuels are non-fossil fuels. Biofuels are energy sources made from living
things or the waste that living things produce.
• Bio-fuels are energy carriers that store the energy derived from organic
materials (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste.
• Bio-fuels are fuels produced directly or indirectly from organic material -
biomass - including plant materials and animal waste.
1. Generations of Bio-Fuels
• Bio-fuels can come from a wide variety of sources and can be roughly divided
into four categories or "generations
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
1. First generation bio-fuels :
• These are made from sugars, starches, oil and animal fats that are converted
into fuel using already-known processes or technologies. These fuels include
biodiesel, bio alcohols, ethanol and bio-gasses, like methane captured from
landfill decomposition.
2. Second generation bio-fuels :
• These are made from non-food crops or agricultural waste, especially ligno-
cellulosic biomass like switch-grass, willow or wood chips.
3. Third generation bio-fuels :
• These are made from algae or other quickly growing biomass sources.
4. Fourth generation bio-fuels :
• These are made from specially engineered plants or biomass that may have
higher energy yields or lower barriers to cellulosic breakdown or are able to be
grown on non- agricultural land or bodies of water.
2. Biodiesel
• Biodiesel is a liquid fuel, technically known as a mono alkyl ester or long chain
Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME).
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be produced in any climate using already
developed agricultural practices.
• Biodiesel is made from renewable resources such vegetable oils (canola,
sunflower, soybean, etc.), reclaimed vegetable or animal fats, algae and alcohols
or other types of biomass.
• B100 is 100 % biodiesel. Biodiesel is widely available in both its neat form (Bl00)
and in blends with petroleum diesel (for example: B2, B5, B20).
• It provides substantial reductions in carbon monoxide, unbumed hydrocarbons
and particulate emissions from diesel engines. Some emissions tests have shown
slight oxides of nitrogen (NOx) increase with biodiesel. New research on real-time
vehicles has shown a decrease in NOx emissions.
• Biodiesel fuels are appealing because of -
1. renewable, nontoxic and biodegradable nature.
2. significance to the efforts to reduce dependence on imported petroleum.
3. potential to reduce DPM emissions.
• Ethanol is an alcohol made from feed stocks (such as corn), sugar cane or
cellulosic material. Ethanol is generally blended with gasoline for use in internal
combustion engines.
Climate Change
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• The average weather of a particular place is called as climate.
• The earth's climate is changing dramatically because of human intervantion. The
climate is influenced directly by temperature and other metrological conditions
such as wind, precipitation and glaciation.
• Long term variation in temperature is major cause of climatic change in
environment.
1. Causes of Climatic Changes
1. Presence of green house gases in atmosphere.
2. Depletion of ozone layer.
Carbon Credit
• Carbon trading is currently the central pillar of the Kyoto Protocol and other
international agreements aimed at slowing climate change. Carbon trading is a
market-based approach to controlling pollution.
• Carbon trading is a emission trading specifically for carbon dioxide (CO 2)
calculated in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent or tCO 2e.
• Carbon trading is about the rights of greenhouse gas emissions. The idea is a
response to the Kyoto Protocol. Under Carbon trading, a country having more
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
emissions of carbon is able to purchase the right to emit more and the country
having less emission trades the right to emit carbon to other countries.
• Both countries and companies can reduce their emissions below designated levels
and sell this amount to a business or country with greenhouse gas emissions that
are too high.
• The financial instrument used for this trade is called offset carbon/carbon credit
which is equivalent to one metric ton of equivalent CO2 equivalent.
• Carbon credits are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide: 1 Credit = 1 Tonne of
CO2
• Difference between carbon footprints and carbon credits is: carbon offsets is total
emissions where as carbon credits is total reduction in emission. Carbon credits are
bought to compensate carbon footprints.
Carbon Footprint
• A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted
through the combustion of fossil fuels.
• The carbon footprint is total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly
and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of
carbon dioxide (CO2).
Definition
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• "The carbon footprint is a measure of the exclusive total amount of carbon
dioxide emissions that is directly and indirectly caused by an activity or is
accumulated over the life stages of a product."
For a Product or Process
• A carbon footprint is the total amount of CO 2q and other greenhouse gases,
emitted over the full life cycle of a process or product. It is expressed as grams of
CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour of generation (gCO2eq/kWh), which accounts for
the different global warming effects of other greenhouse gases.
For a Business Organisation
• In the case of a business organization, it is the amount of CO, emitted either
directly or indirectly as a result of its everyday operations. It also might reflect the
fossil energy represented in a product or commodity reaching market.
• When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of
CO2 depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance.
• When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO 2.
Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical
power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2.
• When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also
emitted some quantities of CO2.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
• Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO 2, which were induced by
your activities in a given time frame.
• Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.
• The best way is to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions based on the fuel
consumption. In the next step you can add the CO 2 emission to your carbon
footprint. Below is a table for the most common used fuels :
• Example : If your car consumes 7.5 liter diesel per 100 km, then a drive of 300
km distance consumes 3 × 7.5 = 22.5 liter diesel, which adds 22.5 × 2.7 kg = 60.75
kg CO2 to your personal carbon footprint.
1. Reducing Carbon Footprint
• Carbon footprint can be reduced by several ways :
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
1. Alternatives to driving - When possible walk or ride your bike in order to avoid
carbon emissions completely. Carpooling and public transportation drastically
reduce CO2 emissions by spreading them out over many riders.
2. Drive a low carbon vehicle - High mileage doesn’t always mean low CO2
emissions. All vehicles have an estimated miles-per-gallon rating. Electric cars
emit no CO2 if they’re charged with clean electricity.
3. Driving style - Speeding and unnecessary acceleration reduce mileage by up to
33 %, waste gas and money and increase your carbon footprint.
4. Tyre inflation and other tuning - Properly inflated tires improve your gas
mileage by up to 3 %. It also helps to use the correct grade of motor oil and to
keep your engine tuned, because some maintenance fixes, like fixing faulty
oxygen sensors, can increase fuel efficiency by up to 40 %.
5. Avoid traffic - Being stuck in traffic wastes fuel and unnecessarily creates CO 2.
Use traffic websites and apps and go a different way or wait.
6. Excess weight - Remove excess weight from your car. Use cruise control.
7. Reduce your carbon footprint from air travel - Until petroleum-based aviation
fuel is replaced, you should avoid flying when possible, fly less frequently, fly
shorter distances and fly economy class.
Avoid air travel, instead increase your use of video-conferencing tools like Skype.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
Economy class is best, for the same reasons as carpooling and public
transportation. Each flyer’s share of a flight’s carbon emissions is relatively less
because it’s spread out over more people.
8. Don’t fly on private jets - Fly first or business class if you must, because at least
those seats always fill up anyway and avoid private jets.
9. Insulate and seal your home - Reduce drafts and air leaks with caulk, insulation
and weather stripping.
10. Appliances - Make energy efficiency a primary consideration when choosing a
new furnace, air conditioning unit, dishwasher or refrigerator. Products bearing
the ENERGY STAR label are recognized for having superior efficiency.
11. Lighting - Turn off lights you’re not using and when you leave the room.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED ones.
12. Thermostat - Don’t set it too high or low. Install a programmable model to
turn off the heat/air conditioning when you’re not home.
13. Solar - Add solar panels to the roof of your home. This costs a little more than
the above options, but many providers offer financing options which minimize
upfront costs.
14. Reduce your food carbon footprint from food - Eat locally-produced and
organic food. Buy local food that is naturally growing in season. Do you really
need to eat strawberries flown in from the other side of the planet ? You want to
eat fresh food, so what better that stuff growing locally.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
It has been estimated that 30 % of greenhouse gas emissions result from the
production and transport of food. Transporting food requires petroleum-based
fuels and many fertilizers are also fossil fuel-based.
15. Deforestation - Deforestation is a top contributor to carbon emissions and
thus climate change.
16. Avoid partying - This is for both food sustainability and economic inequality.
17. Water usage - Lower the amount of energy used to pump, treat and heat
water by washing your car less often, using climate-appropriate plants in your
garden, installing drip irrigation so that plants receive only what they need and
making water-efficient choices when purchasing shower heads, faucet heads,
toilets, dishwashers and washing machines.
Stop daydreaming in the shower and hurry up as lots of hot water is being
wasted.
18. Avoid buying bottled water - Apart from being ridiculously expensive (it’s just
water!) it may have travelled half way round the planet to get to you. Surely tap
water in your own reusable container will do.
19. Reuse and recycle - It has been estimated that 40 % of greenhouse gas
emissions result from the “provision of goods,” which means the extraction of
resources, manufacturing, transport and final disposal of “goods” which include
consumer products and packaging, building components and passenger vehicles,
but excluding food. By buying used products and reselling or recycling items you
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
no longer use, you dramatically reduce your carbon footprint from the “provision
of goods.”
20. Support clean energy sources - Whenever you can, advocate for clean
alternatives to fossil fuels, such as wind, solar, geothermal and appropriately
designed hydroelectric and biomass energy projects.
21. Use fountain pen rather disposable plastic pens.
22. Do not put your supermarket vegetables into separate little plastic bags - it’s
just a waste of bags. Use your own reusable bag to cart the entire goodies home.
23. Print on both sides of the paper and use recycled inks.
24. Use cleaning products that are not derived from oil - so look for vegetable
based ones.
25. Wash your clothes at low temperatures, the detergents still work and the
clothes don’t mind.
Dr. K. LAKSHMIKANDHAN AP/CHEMISTRY,
CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.