2.

3 Sustainable
Development
Topic 2 : Ethics in Engineering
 Learning Outcomes
a) Define sustainability

b) Explain sustainability based on Brundtland

Commission

c) Explain the types of Sustainable Development

d) Describe the importance of sustainability

e) Discuss the integration of sustainability and

sustainable development in engineering project
Learning Outcomes
f) Explain the 6R principle of sustainability:
i. Rethink/redesign
ii. Refuse/recover
iii. Reduce
iv. Reuse
v. Recycle
vi. Repair/remanufacturing
 a) Define sustainability
• Sustainability is defined as a requirement of our generation to
manage the resource base such that the average quality of life
that we ensure ourselves can potentially be shared by all future
generations (Jose & Chacko, 2017).
• It is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological
processes, functions, biodiversity and productivity into the
future.
• For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be
used at a rate at which they can be replenished.
 b) Sustainability by Brundtland
Commission
The message of the Brundtland Report 1987
Desertification, climate change, ozone depletion,
industrial pollution, soil erosion, species
extinction and the threat of nuclear destruction
are all part of what the Commission calls
the 'new realities':
"These new realities, from which there is no
escape, must be recognised, and managed"
(p.1).
The industrial world dominates in the rule-
making of some key international bodies, that
the path of development embarked on by
many developing countries (and supported
by developed country's institutions)
systematically destroys the environment,
and that the industrial world has already
used much of the world's ecological
capital:
“This inequality is the planet's main
'environmental' problem, it is also its main
'development' problem" (pp.5-6).
b) Sustainability by Brundtland
Commission

The primary message of the Brundtland Report is a call for urgent

action:

"The time has come to break out of past patterns. Attempts to

maintain social and ecological stability through old approaches to
development and environmental protection will increase instability.
Security must be sought through change" (p.22).
b) Sustainability by Brundtland
Commission
2 key components:
1. Persuade nations of the need to recognise that all people are sustained by
the global ecosystem, and that environmental problems require an international
approach to achieve the common good.
2. The call for a new era of growth, particularly directed at developing countries
in order to meet essential needs, based on policies that sustain and expand
the environmental resource base and ensure a more equitable distribution of
resources. These actions are integrated under a pathway termed 'sustainable
development'. This is defined as :

“Sustainable development is the kind of

development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”
(p.43)
c) Sustainable Development
• It is a pattern of economic growth in which resource use aims to meet
human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can
be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come.
• It has become a complex term that can be applied to almost every facet
of life on Earth particularly the many different levels of biological
organization (wetlands, prairies and forests), expressed in human
organization concepts and human activities and disciplines (sustainable
agriculture, sustainable engineering, sustainable architecture, renewable
energy and sustainable cities).
• Many sustainable practices are being identified as "green" initiatives.
 c) Types of Sustainable Development

01 02
ECONOMIC HUMAN

03 04
ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL
The four types of sustainability include human, economic, social and
environmental. All four are required to maintain the entirety of life on Earth.
Although interconnected, it is important to note the differences of each in terms of
its nature and requirements.
 • The ability to support a defined level of
economic production indefinitely.

1. ECONOMIC
• Economic sustainability is having a set
amount of capital for a certain period.
• Must preserve all resources so that human
beings in the future can enjoy them as well.
• To achieve this, we must regenerate our
resources at a rate that is equal to or faster
than our consumption.
 • The very basic need of human sustainability is good
reproductive health and safe childbearing. Those
that reproduce have the responsibility of caring for
the children, giving them access to proper education
and promoting their health and wellness.
2. HUMAN • The children should have enough skills and
knowledge such that they can sustain their own way
of life. It is at that point that they become considered
as productive human capital as well as individuals
that can go through the process of reproduction and
rearing.
• As long as this process is maintained at a rate that
all human systems can support, human
sustainability should be no cause for concern.
 • The ability to maintain rates of renewable resource
harvest, pollution creation, and non-renewable
resource depletion that can be continued
indefinitely.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL
• It is important because it involves natural resources
that human beings need for economic or
manufactured capital. Materials taken from nature
are used for solutions that address human needs. If
nature is depleted faster than it can regenerate,
human beings will be left without raw materials.

• It also involves ensuring that waste emissions are

at volumes that nature can handle. If not, all
humans and other living things on Earth can be
harmed to the point of extinction.
 • The ability of a social system, such as a country, to
function at a defined level of social well being
indefinitely.
• Social capital is an important aspect of
sustainability because it is through communities

4. SOCIAL
and civil societies that humankind can easily and
inexpensively work together.
• Without proper levels of social capital, it can easily
deplete and violence as well as mistrust can take
over. When that happens, societies and everything
else that depends on them will be destroyed.
• Through proper maintenance of and adherence to
laws, rules, and values that societies have
developed for the common good, social
sustainability can be achieved.
 c) How to achieve Sustainability
• Meet human needs fairly and efficiently.

• Effective protection of the environment.

• Wise use of natural resources.

• Reduce dependence upon fossil fuels, underground

metals, and minerals, synthetic chemicals and other
unnatural substances.

• Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic

growth and employment.
 c) Sustainable Development Initiative
• Waste elimination and reduction.
• Reduction of toxic dispersion.
• Enhanced resource productivity.
• Clean production processes, technologies & products.
• Increased energy efficiency.
• Closed loops: reuse, remanufacturing, recycling.
• Eco-design.
• Extended product durability, functionality, flexibility.
• Dematerialisation: shift from product to service to information.
• Transparency: environmental & social reporting and performance measurement.
• Ethical production: human rights, workplace conditions and practices, safety,
living wages.
 d) Importance of Sustainability
• End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
• End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition
• Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all .
• Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
• Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all.
• Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization
and foster innovation.
 d) Importance of Sustainability
• Reduce inequality within and among countries.
• Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
• Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development.
• Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
• Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide
access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
at all levels .
 e) Sustainable in Engineering

1. SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE 2. SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING

3. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 4. SUSTAINABLE CITIES

1. SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
• the design of sustainable buildings.
• to reduce the collective environmental impacts during the production of
building components, during the construction process and as well as during
the lifecycle of the building.
• the design practice emphasizes efficiency of heating and cooling systems.
• alternative energy sources :
appropriate building siting, reused/recycled building materials, solar technology,
ground source heat pumps, wind power, rainwater harvesting for gardening.
2. SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING
• It is the process of designing or operating systems such that they use energy and
resources sustainably at a rate that does not compromise the natural environment
or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Engineers should focus on processes rather than endpoints, as the solutions to
engineering problems will change over time as our understanding improves
because most engineers currently in practice have not been effective in making
progress on some of the world’s most pressing problems.
• Sustainable Engineering is important so the world’s engineers can start practice by
making appropriate engineering decisions.
3. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
• Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for
consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for
workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and
supports and enhances rural communities.
• Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals that`s is environmental
health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. A variety of
philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals.
4. SUSTAINABLE CITIES
• Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for
consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for
workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and
supports and enhances rural communities.
• Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals that`s is environmental
health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. A variety of
philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals.
 e) The Importances In Implementing Sustainable
Development In Engineering Project

1. Sustainable consumption and production of materials

2. Reduce greenhouse gas emission and adapting to
future climate change
3. Understanding the limits of natural resources
4. Maintaining existing urban resources and building
and energy-efficient future
5. Efficient resource and energy used
6. Prevention of environmental issues
7. Avoid pollution (ex. Construction pollution)
f) Introducing The Six R’s
Principle Of Sustainability
Design and Technology
Did you know that…
Only 1 in every 10,000
products are designed with the

environment in mind…

(Edwin Datschefski)
Starter activity: What’s the specification?

● Working in small groups - look at the two

products that you’ve been given in class (or the
bags below).
● Make a list on your worksheet of the design
specifications that you think the designer
followed to design the two products.
What do you think is the role of designers?

Designers should define their role as agents of good in the

world and limit their work to products that are needed and can

be made without damage to nature or people.

(Phillip Starck)
What are the big sustainability issues for designers?

1. Resource use
We use so much and so many materials.

Many of the products we use daily use materials that

are in scarce supply and are non-renewable.
If everyone in the world used as any resources as we
do in the UK, we’d need 3 planets to sustain us.
Big issues…
2. Climate Change
Many products use a lot of energy to;
● Process materials and produce
● Transport
● Use and dispose

The energy used throughout the product ‘lifecycle’

releases carbon dioxide, which contributes towards
climate change.
Big issue… 3. Impact on people
There are people involved at each stage of the
development of a new product.
Make a list of all people who might be involved in the
production, use and disposal of:

Non fair trade ice cream

Fair trade ice cream

Who are the people that benefit and who loses out
throughout the whole of the product lifecycle?
 Six R’s
The 6R’s could be a way of helping you think about the reducing
the impact of a new product on the environment and people.
Activity
Match the 6R’s on your worksheet to their definitions
 Check you’ve got them right…
● RETHINK: Do we make too many products?
Design in a way that considers people and the
environment.
● REFUSE: Don’t use a material or buy a product if
you don’t need it or if it’s bad for people or the
environment.
● REDUCE: Cut down the amount of material and
energy you use as much as you can.
● REUSE: Use a product to make something else
with all or parts of it.
● RECYCLE: Reprocess a material or product and
make something else.
● REPAIR: When a product breaks down or doesn’t
work properly, fix it.
Plenary activity : Using 6 R’s
Look at the party bag and its contents below.
Use the 6R’s to help you redesign it in a way that
considers people and the environment.
 6R’s and party bags

● Rethink: What could you do differently? Do we

need party bags at all?
● Refuse: Are there materials you would choose not
to use?
● Reduce: Can you reduce the packaging?
● Reuse: Can the bag or its contents be used again
for another purpose?
● Recycle: Have you used materials that area easy
to recycle when its finished with?
● Repair: It is possible to mend any of it or will it go
to landfill if broken?
Designers in action..
To see examples of designers who include the six R’s
in their work. View
http://practicalaction.org/education/design_and_tech
nology_profiles

Or sustainable companies
http://practicalaction.org/sustainable-companies
THE END OF LECTURE

“The earth is a fine place and

worth fighting for”
-Ernest Hemingway-

“The greatest threat to our

planet is the belief that
someone else will save it”
-Robert Swan-