INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING

Module-1:

Sustainability – Introduction, Need for Sustainability, Concept of

Sustainability, social, environmental and economic sustainability concepts.

Sustainable development, Engineering for Sustainable development,

Threats for sustainability, Low Impact development techniques.

Environmental ethics, Environmental education, multilateral

environmental agreements and Protocols – Environmental legislations in
India – Water Act, Air Act

Project Work
 WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY??

SUSTAINABILITY capacity to endure continue to exist in

same state

 Seek an improved quality of life

 Embrace equality for all
 Goal to achieve sustainable development
 Work towards the goal

 Big social challenge before humanity

 Important due to global awareness of threat imposed by

human activities
 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

“Sustainability is the key to our survival on this planet and will

also determine success on all levels”

Key sustainability concepts

• Inter-generational equity
• Intra-generational equity
• Ecological sustainability focuses on quality of life /
• Fair distribution of wealth well- being
• Community participation
• Access to resources
 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

Three basic spheres of sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY

“The great challenge of the twenty-first century is to raise people

everywhere to a decent standard of living while preserving as much
of the rest of life as possible.”
 NEED FOR SUSTAINABILITY

 Natural cleansing capacity of nature is not infinite

Leads to overexploitation of resources and accumulation of waste

Population exploitation
+ great challenge to sustainability
Unsustainable consumption levels

 Humans are living beyond carrying capacity of earth

 To preserve and conserve the environmental strata for future

generations
 NEED FOR SUSTAINABILITY

 Key objective of strategic planning and should be integrated in all

decision making sectors

 Broad based strategies:

 Improved education
 Political empowerment of women
 Greater regard for social justice
 Equity between rich and poor
 Inter-generational equity

 Goal to raise global standard of living without increasing the use of

resources

 Not to exceed “One Planet” consumption

 CONCEPT FOR SUSTAINABILITY

 First step is to appreciate ill effects of unsustainable

development

 Universally accepted definition of sustainability remains elusive

Definition :

“ Meeting the needs of current and future generations through

integrating environmental protection, social advancement and
economic prosperity”

 A process of learning which helps us grow in understanding

sustainability, human motivation, vision and thus how to
progress through sustainability
 CONCEPT FOR SUSTAINABILITY

 For world to be sustainable,

Four principles to follow:

1. Reduce dependence upon fossil fuels
2. Reduce dependence upon synthetic chemicals and other
unnatural substances
3. Reduce encroachment upon nature
4. Meet human needs fairly and efficiently

 No country is sustainable or even comes close to it

 Achieving sustainability is an ongoing learning process

 CONCEPT FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Environmental-Economic
Energy efficient incentives
Optimum consumption for use of natural resources
of natural resources & Economy
waste minimization growth & profit

ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY

Social-Environmental
SOCIETY Economic-Social
Environmental justice
Business ethics, Fair trade

SUSTAINABILITY
Standard of living, Education,
Equal opportunity
 CONCEPT FOR SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Social sustainability focuses on the idea

• inter-generational equity
• intra-generational equity

Quality of life
Core of social sustainability Growth
Equality

Socially sustainable communities are Equitable

Diverse
Democratic
Good quality of life

Least understood and least defined hence weakest

 CONCEPT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Definition:
“ Improving the quality of human life while living within the
carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems”

 Sum of natural resources used is faster than replenishment

Degradation of environment occurs

 If vice-versa, sustainability occurs

 Environmental sustainability demands that society design

activities to meet human needs while preserving the life
supporting systems of the planet
 CONCEPT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES STATE OF ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY

Less than nature’s ability to Environmental Renewal Sustainable
replenish
Equal to nature’s ability to Environmental Equilibrium Steady-State
replenish
More than nature’s ability to Environmental Degradation Not Sustainable
replenish

 Make responsible decisions to reduce negative impacts on the

environment
 CONCEPT FOR ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

 Economic growth is sustainable, simultaneously improve our

quality of life and that of the environment

 Industry/Business should make profit without creating much

environmental harm

 Developing countries Average resource consumption

Population exploitation
(unsustainable)

 Developed countries Resource consumption very high

Population increase is less
(sustainable)
 CONCEPT FOR ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Challenge of sustainability

Curb western style consumption Raise the standard of living of

from developed countries developing countries

Without increasing resource use and environmental impact

 Term used to identify various strategies that make it possible to

use available resources in such a way that it is both efficient,
responsible and provide long term benefits
 HELIX OF SUSTAINABILITY

Concept used to help manufacturing industry move to more

sustainable practices by mapping its models of raw materials use and
reuse to that of nature

 Linear path of materials to a circular material path

Raw material extraction product use disposal

 Reuse of material as much as possible

 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 World looked economic status alone as a measure of human

development

 Suffering from serious environmental pollution and affecting the

well-being and health of people

 1972 to 1992 – serious of international conferences to set the

theoretical frame work for sustainable development

 First major international conference – United Nations conference

on Human Environment held in Stockholm which led to the
development of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)

 UNEP identified priority conservation issues & key policy options

 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Definition: “Development which meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs”
Viable

ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY

Bearable SOCIETY Equitable

SUSTAINABILE
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Pillars of Sustainable Development:

• Social pillar – Social development that provides food, shelter,

clothing, education and health for human beings

• Environmental pillar – Environmental protection that provides

pollution free air, water and soil for
present & future generations

• Economic pillar – Economic development such as provision for

job, industrial development, business policy
change for improving quality of life
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Goal of sustainable development :

To act in these three areas finding long term development solutions

that combine economic growth with environmental protection
while enabling us to meet our social needs

 The actions of government to implement sustainable

development in their policies – Institutional pillar (Fourth pillar)

 Aspects of sustainable development:

1. Inter-generational equity
2. Intra-generational equity
 MEASURES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1) To promote environmental education and awareness

2) Three ‘R’ approach

- REDUCE
- REUSE
- RECYCLE

3) Appropriate technology

4) Utilise resources as per carrying capacity of the environment

 NEXUS BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Technological innovation – promise of a better world through disease
elimination and improvement in standard of
living
- resource extraction, pollution of air, water & soil

- Research on relationship between science, technology and society

- Technology can support sustainability by:

• Reducing waste
• Raising efficiency standards
• Finding substitutes (reducing extraction or consumption of resources
or use of toxic substances)
 NEXUS BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Agricultural Technologies –
• goal to improve productivity, soil & water conservation, improve human
nutrition, food quality – contribute to economy as a whole

• Agricultural policy issues with respect to sustainable development

• For production increase to be sustainable – need of technology to

improve soil fertility, improve water availability & efficiency of use,
cropping systems etc

Energy Technologies –
• Technology to provide & improve energy services

• efficient biomass stoves to reduce fuel use and smoke emissions, simple
motor driven water pumping

• Increase emphasis on natural gas & other alternative fuel sources

 NEXUS BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Environmental Technologies – more efficient & cleaner use of energy &
materials

Bio-medical Technologies – good sanitation, clean water facility, municipal

waste systems

Local development – solar greenhouses, waste water treatment, health care

systems
 CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
1) Misconception about sustainable development

2) Population explosion in the developing economies

3) Poverty

4) Absence of adequate political & industrial will for moving towards a

sustainable future

5) Over exploitation of natural resources in the developed countries

6) Corruption & misuse of sustainable development assistance funds

7) Poor solid waste management

8) High cost of appropriate technology to tap renewable energy resources

9) Fresh water scarcity

 CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
10) Lack of coordination between three pillars of sustainable development

11) Loss of biodiversity

12) Overdependence of fossil fuels leading to global warming & climate

change

13) Absence of strict environment laws and legislations to curb the menace
of pollution

14) Lack of broad based public awareness towards sustainable development

 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Multilateral Environmental Agreement – legally binding agreement
between two or more nations which contains commitments to meet
specific environmental objectives

Important MEAs –

1) Global Environment Summit in Stockholm, 1972

• Known as ‘United Nations Conference on the Human Environment’

• 26 principles regarding environment & development – human rights,

natural resources, wildlife, environmental education etc

• Led to the formation of UNEP – United Nations Environment

Programme – coordinating, monitoring & assisting countries for
solutions to environmental problems
 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Important MEAs –

2) International Union for Conservation of Nature, 1948 (IUCN)

• Largest environmental association containing governmental & non-

governmental organisations

• Stands for sustainable use of natural resources

3) Convention on International Trade in Endangered species (CITES) of

Wild Fauna and Flora, 1973

• Created by IUCN to confirm that wild animals and plants cannot be

traded which affect their survival
 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Important MEAs –

4) The Vienna Convention (1985) & Montreal Protocol (1987)

• Main theme is Ozone Depletion – Vienna Convention

• Control use of ozone depleting substances like Chloro Fluoro Carbons

(CFCs) used for refrigeration & air conditioning – Montreal Protocol

5) Earth Summit, 1992

• Poverty, war & growing gap between industrialized & developing

countries were major topics

• Representatives from 178 countries, 2000-3000 individuals from

various organizations
 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Important MEAs –

5) Earth Summit, 1992

• Three major conventions – Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC) and
Agenda 21

6) Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)

• Theme – benefit sharing, conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use

of biodiversity

• Conference of parties (COPs) –parties not members

 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Important MEAs –

6) Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)

• COP-4 : Cartagena Protocol – bio safety

• COP-10 : ‘Aichi Targets’ – ‘Twenty ambitious yet achievable targets’
(2011-2020)
• COP-10 : Nagoya Protocol – fair & equitable sharing of benefits arising
from the use of genetic resources
• COP-11 – Mobilization of financial resources

7) United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic change (UNFCCC)

• Objective of this forum – get solutions for stabilizing Green House Gas
concentrations to prevent climate change
 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Important MEAs –

7) United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic change (UNFCCC)

• COP-3 : Kyoto Protocol – reduce industrial emissions of green house

gases

• Signed in 1997 but enforced from 2005

• Common responsibility to reduce GHG gases but methods are different

for different nations

• Countries under this protocol have an emission target ‘quota’ or Kyoto

units’ to reduce GHGs
 MUTLILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND
PROTOCOLS
Important MEAs –

8) Agenda 21 –

• Sustainable development in local, national and global levels

• ‘21’ represents 21st century

 CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM)

• GHG gas emissions are to be controlled for the sake of ozone layer

• Reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases anywhere in the world

can reduce ozone depletion

• Joint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

• Kyoto protocol – 37 industrialized countries & European countries

( Annexure-1 countries) – agreed to offset the allowable quantity of
emissions to another country for payment without affecting the total
emissions – JI (Developed countries)

• CDM (Developing countries) – reduction of GHG gases cost more –

difficulty in availability of new technologies – more economical for a
developing country to pay developed country to reduce emissions on
their behalf
 CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM)
• CDM – payment done by private companies – awarded projects as
‘Certified Emission Reductions’ (CER) – huge profit in carbon trading
market of industrialised countries

ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN INDIA

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) – organization formed in 1974
aiming for clean water and air

Main functions:

1. Plan & organise programmes for preventing & controlling air and
water pollution
2. By providing proper guidelines, avoid conflicts & disputes related to
pollution
3. Conduct & propogate awareness programmes related to prevention of
pollution through mass media
 ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN INDIA
Main functions:

4. Conduct investigations & research regarding the problems related to

pollution
5. Collect data related to air, water pollution for analysing & publishing
statistical results for awareness of the state & public
6. Co-ordinate the State Boards & guide them properly

Major Environmental Legislations –

• Water pollution
• Air pollution
• Environment protection
• Animal welfare
• Wildlife
• Forest conservation
• Biodiversity
 THE WATER ACT, 1974
• Prevention & control of water pollution
• Maintenance or restoration of wholesomeness of water
• Provides authority to pollution control agencies to collect & analyse water
samples
• Concern over discharge of sewage of trade effluents
• Applying penalties to offenders
• Clear guidelines & description of procedure for sanctioning permit
regarding prevention or control of water pollution

THE WATER CESS ACT ,1977

• Collect cess for consumption of water for industrial applications like
industrial cooling, spraying in mine pits etc where water gets polluted
either by biodegradable or with toxic pollutants
• Monitor the water consumption by industries
• Access properly & periodically the cess to be collected
• Provide relaxation on cess if the industry provides proper water treatment
system
 THE AIR ACT, 1981
• Prevent & control air pollution
• Get sanction from pollution control agencies before starting an industry
with proper application & time bound response of the authorities
• Empower agencies to enter, analyze & take appropriate actions on the
organizations dealing with air pollutants
• Preserve the quality of air
• Control noise pollution
• Enable pollution control agencies to fix pollutant levels & control
measures with respect to global standards

THE ENVIRONMENT ACT ,1986

• Empowers central government to prevent & control the pollution
• Establish authorities to control the pollution & protect the environment
• To close, regulate & prohibit the working od an organization or process
involved
 THE ENVIRONMENT ACT ,1986
• Standards for emissions is clearly mentioned in many amendments &
notifications
• It provides freedom to the individuals to approach legal authorities
against violation of the rules
• The penalties for the defaulters are prescribed