Introduction to Sustainable Engineering

22ME1ETISE
Model Questions

1. Define the following: Sustainability, engineering, sustainable engineering, green

economy, low carbon economy, eco efficiency, linear economy, systems thinking,
2. Discuss the need and importance of sustainable engineering and development by
considering examples of your choice
3. List the nine planetary boundaries
4. Discuss the 17 Sustainable development goals with relevant examples
5. Discuss the relation between sustainable development and engineering
profession
6. Discuss the key attributes of graduate engineer
7. Explain factor 4 and factor 10 w.r.t sustainability
8. Explain the following; systems thinking, life cycle thinking
9. Discuss the concept of circular economy and its relevance with neat sketches and
examples
10. List the guiding principles for sustainable engineering
11. Draw neat sketch for principles of sustainable engineering and sustainability
framework for engineering
12. Discuss the SCP framework in detail with a neat sketch considering examples of
your choice
 Answers
1. Definitions of various concepts

2. Need and importance

Sustainable engineering is the practice of designing products and processes
that drive material and energy efficiencies to minimize their environmental
impact while cutting costs and improving the bottom line. All life on Earth
depends on the environment and the natural resources that come from it;
water, food, plants, minerals - these basic elements are imperative to the
survival of humankind as we know it and the generations that will follow us in
the future. There are over seven billion people on Earth. And each day, these
billions of people use the resources to help us survive and live with ease. Some
resources that are being used cannot be replaced once used. In addition, the
use of some resources can go on to have negative impacts on our wider
environment, such as pollution, which can also lead to additional problems
with these natural elements that we so critically rely on. But for the world to
continue providing us with these resources we require, we need to interact
with our environment in a way that ensures there will be enough resources for
us and for generations to come in the future. Sustainability confronts these
problems, finding ways to protect and conserve our natural environment to
ensure we can live our lives, without ever having to worry about not having
enough resources for the future and sustainable engineering has a huge part
in helping make sure the processes and systems that we as individuals and
larger corporations use, does not compromise our availability of resources for
future generations.
Common focuses within the world of sustainable engineering include the
following but not limited to:

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

Sustainable engineering is about considering the whole system in which the

engineering product or process is to be used. Whereas in the past engineering
 would concentrate on technical issues, sustainable engineering considers both
technical and non-technical issues of the task in hand. In doing so, it aims not
only to find solutions to an immediate problem within a local context but also
to solve the problem globally for generations to come. Historically, political,
ethical and societal issues have been side-lined by Engineering and left for
others to deal with. Sustainable engineering by contrast acknowledges and
embraces the need for consultation with experts in other fields before, during
and after the engineering process itself. It is a holistic way of design and
problem solving, it is about looking after our resources and effecting positive
change in the interest of preserving the environment so that future
generations are able to meet their needs. Sustainable engineering holds the
solution to so many of the world’s problems and issues by very virtue of the
array of sectors it covers: housing, sanitation, water, food production, energy
development, industrial processing, transportation, waste management,
energy saving technology, restoration of natural environments (e.g. forests,
lakes and rivers), improving processes to eliminate waste and reduce energy
consumption.
It is about believing in the importance of building a sustainable society where
resources are used efficiently and effectively and where adverse impact on
people and the environment is minimised. Sustainable engineering is also
about working collaboratively and drawing down on expert outside
knowledge to solve the challenges sustainability throws at us.

Undoubtedly, sustainable engineering is key to creating a better world where

both the environment and climate are central to all new designs and processes.
Already so many examples of sustainable design can be seen in buildings
across the globe where renewable energy sources have reduced the
operational costs of a structure by harnessing power from the wind, sun or
water. Wind turbines have grown exponentially in number both on land and at
sea as engineers continue to come up with solutions to our depleted natural
energy resources for future generations to come. Hybrid cars, electric cars,
hydrogen-powered cars: developments are happening all the time as
engineering explores every single avenue in the interests of a sustainable
future.

3. 9 Planetary boundaries
i) Stratospheric ozone depletion
ii) Loss of biosphere integrity
iii) Chemical pollution and the release of novel entities
iv) Climate change
v) Ocean acidification
vi) Freshwater consumption and global hydrological cycle
vii) Land system change
viii) Nitrogen and phosphorus flows to biosphere and oceans
ix) Atmospheric aerosol loading
4. Explanation of each of the 17 SDGs depending on the marks. If it is a 15-20
marks question, detailed explanation of all 17 SDGs are needed , where each of
the SDG has to be explained for a paragraph of 4-5 lines with an example or
application(how that can be achieved) with neat sketch
If it is for 10 marks, neat sketch and 1-2 line explanation of about 15-17 can b
e made.

5. Engineering and sustainable development are closely linked, with many aspects of
sustainable development depending directly and significantly on appropriate and timely
actions by engineers. Products and services that engineers design provide the interface
between humans and environment so that all engineering projects either contribute to
sustainability or not. It requires engineers asking new questions at the right time at each
stage of project delivery. The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)
notes that These changes are beginning to fundamentally shift the way engineering
project performance is judged, and they add invisible design criteria that will ultimately
affect every engineering project, whether for products, processes, facilities or
infrastructure. The effect of sustainable development will be to bring broad resources,
ecological and social issues into the mainstream of engineering design and it has become
critically important that engineers understand these issues and look for ways to
incorporate these considerations in all that they do.

This needs new engineering skills and an important one is that of systems thinking and
dealing with complexity. The natural and man-made world is highly interconnected, so
that actions in one sphere can have unintended and unforeseen consequences elsewhere.
Engineering solutions have to operate within highly complex systems and engineers need
to have a habit of mind that allows them to see the “big picture” and to cope with change
 and uncertainty. Engineers also work in multidisciplinary teams where they are involved
with other specialists and this means that they may or may not have control of, or be
solely responsible for, a particular project. However, they should be engaged for preparing
and presenting clear justifications to implement more sustainable solutions that serve the
public interest. They should strive to understand and manage the environmental aspects
of projects that they are involved with and need to learn to engage better with
communities.
The Declaration of Barcelona presents a list of engineers’ preferable attributes for
sustainable development, which includes the following abilities:
• to “understand how their (engineers’) work interacts with society and the environment,
locally and globally, in order to identify potential challenges, risks, and impacts”;
• to “understand the contribution of their work in different cultural, social, and political
contexts and take those differences into account”; 22 Introduction to Sustainability for
Engineers
• to “work in multidisciplinary teams, in order to adapt current tech nology to the
demands imposed by sustainable lifestyles, resource efficiency, pollution prevention, and
waste management”;
• to “apply a holistic and systemic approach to solving problems and the ability to move
beyond the tradition of breaking reality down into disconnected parts”;
• to “participate actively in the discussion and definition of economic, social, and
technological policies to help redirect society towards more sustainable development”;
• to “apply professional knowledge according to deontological princi ples and universal
values and ethics”; and
• to “listen closely to the demands of citizens and other stakeholders and let them have a
say in the development of new technologies and infrastructures.”

A professional person such as an engineer is one who engages in an activity that requires
a specialized and comprehensive education and is motivated by a strong desire to serve
humanity. Professionalism is a way of life. True professionals are those who pursue their
learned art in a spirit of public service. One of the common characteristics of a professional
is that it has, as a result of specialized expertise, signifi cant power to affect individual
clients and wider society. As a result of the power their skills bring society places great
trust in professionals to exercise those skills wisely

6. Developing a professional frame of mind on sustainability begins with engineering

education. According to the WFEO, it is critical that engineer ing graduates are equipped
with the relevant knowledge and skills to effectively address such challenges in society.
Graduate attributes form a set of individually assessable outcomes that are the
components indica tive of the graduate’s potential to acquire competence to practise at
the appropriate level. The International Engineering Alliance (IEA) Graduate Attributes
and Competences are the foundation for the accreditation of engineering programs under
the Washington Accord (WA) (IEA, 2013). To be recognized under the WA, the
accreditation process must provide assurance that the attributes of graduates of a
signatory’s programs are substantially equivalent to the IEA graduate exemplars.
Graduates are expected to be able to demonstrate both knowledge and competencies. In
terms of knowledge profile, the expected level of knowl edge is WK7: “Comprehension
of the role of engineering in society and identified issues in engineering practice in the
discipline: ethics and the professional responsibility of an engineer to public safety; the
 impacts of engineering activity: economic, social, cultural, environmental and
sustain ability.” Thus, engineering graduates from all programs accredited under the IEA
WA can be expected to have an understanding of sustainability in the context of
engineering practice in their field. Linked to this knowledge profile, the graduate attribute
or competency is “Understand and evaluate the sustainability and impact of professional
engineering work in the solution of complex engineering problems in societal and
environmental contexts (WA7).” Engineering students should develop this competency
through all projects undertaken during their studies. Sustainable development redefines
the contexts within which engineering skills must be deployed. It is a new integrative
principle and it is therefore very important for graduate engineers to gain a feel for
sustainable devel opment during their studies, so that, as with concepts such as justice,
they can recognize it as a guiding principle to be interpreted for each instance in which
the principle is needed in their future professional career. Concepts such as life cycle
thinking, industrial ecology, circular economy, sustainable consumption and production,
systems thinking, and stakeholder engage ment are now important elements in the
education of the modern engine.

7. 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.
Factor Four moves away from labor 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
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.
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.

Factor Ten is a social and economic policy program developed by the Factor
Ten institute with the stated goal of "provid[ing] practical support for
achieving significant advances in sustainable value creation, in particular
through increases in resource productivity throughout the economy
 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
dematerialization. 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

Factor 10 goes farther as a response to the United Nations Environment

Programme call for a tenfold reduction in resource consumption in
industrialized countries as a necessary long-term target if adequate resources
are to be released for the needs of the developing countries

➢ Developed nation accounts for 20% of global population but consume 80% of
worlds resource
➢ Based on sustainability, Factor 10 focuses on materials and the input side of
the economy.
➢ It requires new technologies; policies; services; and manufacturing processes,
➢ as well as socio-cultural change to create and do more for longer periods of
time with fewer resources.

8. Systems Thinking
A system is a set of things interacting in a way that produces something greater
than the sum of its parts. Systems thinking is concerned with expanding our
awareness to see the relationships between parts and wholes rather than looking
at just discrete, isolated parts and it is particularly useful in addressing complex
situations. The latter cannot be solved by any one actor (businesses, people, or
government) and one can understand a complex system only by looking at it from
different perspectives. Systems thinking helps us see the big picture and enables
us to identify multiple leverage points that can be addressed to solve the problem.
It also helps us see the connectivity between elements in the situation, so as to
support joined-up actions. At early stages of an engineering project, a systems
thinking approach is needed for the integration of sustainability in the planning
and design as it enables to look at an issue in a broader context. Rather than just
trying to address the immediate symptoms, a systems approach looks at the
underlying causes of an identified problem. It helps to avoid any burden shifting
that may occur. For example, while it has been shown that certain kinds of biofuels
can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases if they replace fossil fuels, it has also
been shown that large-scale expansion of biofuels could lead to reduced supply of
food crops and feed crops and thereby result in increasing food prices.

Life cycle thinking is a holistic approach to thinking about the

environmental impact of products beyond manufacturing to also include
extraction, consumption and end of life. This style of thinking considers the
 processes involved in the use of a product, from the point of its creation to the
end of a products useful life

The goal of life cycle thinking is to spread awareness about the ongoing
environmental impact on humans. Life cycle thinking aims to avoid burden
shifting, which is the result of environmental impact at one stage of the life
cycle being reduced, while the impact at another stage of the life cycle is
increased.

Life cycle thinking also recognizes technological innovation as a solution for

reducing environmental impact.
Life cycle thinking (LCT) extends the boundaries of the production site and
manufacturing processes to include environmental, social, and economic
impacts of a product over its entire life cycle. With this kind of thinking, we aim
to reduce a product’s resource use and emissions to the environment as well
as improve its socioeconomic performance through its life cycle. Through an
LCT approach,negative impacts are minimized while avoiding burden shifting
betweenlife cycle stages or between environmental impacts. When applied to
product design, production processes, and as a decision-making tool,LCT is an
important concept for devising and implementing effective sustainability
strategies.
Explanation with neat sketch of Life cycle stages(Figure 2.1)

9. Circular Economy
A circular economy (also referred to as circularity and CE) is a model of production
and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing
and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible
CE aims to tackle global challenges as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and
pollution by emphasizing the design-based implementation of the three base
principles of the model
The three principles required for the transformation to a circular economy are:
eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and the
regeneration of nature. CE is defined in contradistinction to the traditional linear
economy.
• In a linear economy, natural resources are turned into products that are ultimately
destined to become waste because of the way they have been designed and
manufactured
• This process is often summarized by "take, make, waste“
• By contrast, a circular economy employs reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment,
remanufacturing and recycling to create a closed-loop system, reducing the use of
resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions
 • The circular economy aims to keep products, materials, equipment and
infrastructure in use for longer, thus improving the productivity of these
resources

Refer Figure 2.2, page 37 from the prescribed textbook for a clear image

Examples of Circular Economy implementation:

a. Re-usable fast food packaging : Burger King
Takeaway food is big business -- but the packaging for those meals poses a sustainability
challenge.
Global takeaway brand Burger King has unveiled a solution in the form of reusable
packaging intended to reduce the amount of waste it generates. Customers in New York,
Tokyo, and Portland, Oregon will soon be able to buy burgers and drinks in reusable
packaging. The plan, one in place for next year, features a small deposit charged initially
and then refunded when the customer returns with the boxes and cups, which are taken
away for cleaning and processing via the zero-waste e-commerce system Loop.
b. Shoes you don’t own: Adidas
Adidas is another circular economy example. This sportswear multinational has a range
of footwear designed with recycling in mind. Its UltraBoost DNA Loop shoes are made
from just one material – thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). No glue is used in its
manufacture, instead, it is assembled using high temperatures.
On its website, Adidas describes the UltraBoost Loop as the shoes customers will never
own, but will instead return once they are finished with them.

“If the end can become the beginning, we can help keep products in play and waste out of
landfill,” the company says.

Minimum two examples have to be mentioned briefly in addition to sketch and explanation.

10. Guiding principles for sustainable engineering

1. Maintain and continuously improve awareness and understanding
of environmental stewardship, sustainability principles, and issues
related to your field of practice.
2. Use expertise of others in the areas where your own knowledge is not
adequate to address environmental and sustainability issues.
3. Incorporate global, regional, and local societal values applicable to
your work, including local and community concerns, quality of life,
and other social concerns related to environmental impact along with
traditional and cultural values.
4. Implement sustainability outcomes at the earliest possible stage
employing applicable standards and criteria related to sustainability
and the environment.
5. Assess the costs and benefits of environmental protection, ecosystem
components, and sustainability in evaluating the economic viability
of the work, with proper consideration of climate change and
extreme events.
6. Integrate environmental stewardship and sustainability planning into
the life-cycle planning and management of activities that impact the
environment, and implement efficient, sustainable solutions.
7. Seek innovations that achieve a balance between environmental,
social, and economic factors while contributing to healthy surround ings in
both the built and natural environment.
8. Develop locally appropriate engagement processes for stake holders, both
external and internal, to solicit their input in an
open and transparent manner, and respond to all concerns –
economic, social, and environmental in a timely fashion in ways
that are consistent with the scope of your assignment. Disclose
information necessary to protect public safety to the appropriate
authorities.
9. Ensure that projects comply with regulatory and legal requirements
and endeavour to exceed or better them by the application of best
available, economically viable technologies and procedures.
 10. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage but a lack of
scientific certainty, implement risk mitigation measures in time to
minimize environmental degradation

11. Drawing neat labelled sketches of the mentioned concepts

12. SCP Framework

Explanation of each element of framework briefly for about atleast one

paragraph highlighting the fundamentals of those concepts and how it
contributes to sustainability.

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