MCN201 -

SUSTAINABLE
ENGINEERING
Continuous Internal Evaluation Pattern

Attendance : 10 marks
Continuous Assessment Test (2 numbers) :
25 marks
 Assignment/Quiz/Course project : 15 marks
End Semester Examination
Pattern
 Part A : 10 questions with 2 questions from
each module, having 3 marks for each
question. Students should answer all
questions.
 Part B : 2 questions from each module of
which student should answer any one. Each
question can have maximum 2 sub-divisions
and carry 14 marks.
Syllabus
Module 1
 Sustainability: Introduction, concept, evolution
of the concept; Social, environmental and
economic sustainability concepts;
 Sustainable development, Nexus between
Technology and Sustainable development;
 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
SUSTAINABILITY-
INTRODUCTION

 The irreparable damage caused to the environment by

industrial civilization & consumerism, which
originated about 3 centuries ago. They were based on
the following wrong assumptions:

 Earth belongs to the humans only

 Earth's stock of resources are infinite
 Environment can bear any amount of damage that is

caused by human activity.

Contd….
 The advantages & disadvantages of industrial
civilization & consumerism are listed below:-
Advantages
1. Flourished the economy
2. Improved the living quality of the society
Disadvantages
1. Caused irreparable damage to the environment
2. Pose a threat to the life support systems of earth.
Sustainability is based on a simple principle:
 Everything that we need for our survival and well-

being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our

natural environment.

 Sustainabilitycreates and maintains the conditions

under which humans and nature can exist in productive
harmony, that permit fulfilling the requirements of
present and future generations.

 Sustainabilityis important to making sure that we have

and will continue to have, the water, materials, and
resources to protect human health and our environment.
SUSTAINABILITY- DEFINITION
 Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing

economic prosperity while protecting the natural

systems of the planet and providing a high quality of
life for its people.

  The term “sustainable” is used for many

different areas such as:

 sustainable design

 sustainable development

 sustainable living

 sustainable energy etc....
Sustainable Engineering
‘sustainable engineering’ strives to
maintain sustainable principles in engineering
activities such as:
  Using methods that minimize
environmental damage to provide
sufficient food, water, shelter, and mobility
for a growing world population
  Designing products and processes so
that wastes from one are used as inputs to
another
SUSTAINABILITY- NEED & CONCEPT
 Sustainability has three components, which are inter-

related, as shown in Fig.1:

1. Environment
2. Society
3. Economy
Contd….
 The environment gives resources, raw
materials to the Economy for production
activities.
 The economy creates products and sells

them to society for use.

 Production by Economy Consumption by

Society leads to the following environmental

impacts.
CONTD…..
1. Exhaustion of Resources – Water, Petroleum,
Forests
2. Loss of Biodiversity - Extinction of Animal/Plant
Species due to Water, Soil, Air Pollution
3. Deforestation - conversion of forestland to
farms, urban use etc.
4. Ozone Depletion - reduction of the amount of
ozone in the stratosphere due to the emission of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
 CFC/s emitted from the industries, rises to the

Stratosphere.
 Sunlight breaks CFCs to release Chlorine.

Chlorine reacts with Ozone and destroys it.

5. Acid Deposition – results in acid rain, acid fog and acid
mist.
6. Desertification - type of land degradation in which a land
region becomes dry, typically losing its water bodies,
vegetation and wildlife.
7. Eutrophication - form of water pollution occurs when
excessive fertilizers run into lakes and rivers. This
encourages the overgrowth of algae and other aquatic
plants.
8. Global Warming - gradual increase in the average
temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans,
caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases –
Carbon oxides, Nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides,
Fluorocarbons
The environmental impact, caused by economy on
production and society on consumption, leads to the
following damages to human life.
1. Fresh water scarcity
2. Climate change
3. Exposure to toxics in food, air, water and soil
4. Emerging diseases
5. Food insecurity resulting in poverty
6.Energy scarcity due to depletion of non- renewable
resources
7. Ecosystem damage and habitat loss due to pollutant
discharges
8. Sea level rise
 The need of sustainability is to reduce these damages
and create a livable planet earth for the future
generations. For this, United Nations presented the
following key sustainability concepts:-
 Inter-generational equity – Expects the present
generation to hand over a safe, healthy and resourceful
environment to the future generation.
 Intra-generational equity – Emphasize the
technological development should support economic
growth of the poorer section, so as to reduce the gap
between nations.
 Sustainability means balancing
environment, society and economy
SOCIAL- ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC
SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPTS

 The concept of sustainability is based on the basis that

people and their communities are made up of social,
economic, and environmental systems that are in
constant interaction and that must be kept in harmony.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
 There are six principles of sustainability that can help a

community ensure that its social, economic, and

environmental systems are well integrated and will
endure.
A community or society that wants to pursue sustainability
will try to:

1. Maintain residents’ quality of life.

 Quality of life has many components: income, education,
health care, housing, employment, legal rights.
 Each locality must define and plan for the quality of life it

wants and believes it can achieve, for now and for future
generations.
2. Enhance local economic vitality.
 A viable local economy is essential to sustainability.
 This includes job opportunities, sufficient tax base and
revenue to support government and the provision of
infrastructure and services, and a suitable business climate.
3. Promote social and intergenerational equity.
 A sustainable community’s resources and opportunities

are available to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, age,

gender, cultural background, religion, or other
characteristics. Further, a sustainable community does
not deplete its resources and destroy natural systems.
4. Maintain the quality of the environment.
 A sustainable community tries to find ways to co-exist

with natural environment and ecosystem.

 It avoids unnecessary degradation of the air, oceans,
fresh water, and other natural system
5. Incorporate disaster resilience and mitigation into its
decisions and actions.
 A community is resilient in the face of inevitable

natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes,earthquakes,

floods, and drought if it takes steps to ensure that such
events cause as little damage as possible.
6. Use a consensus-building, participatory process
when making decisions.
 Participatory processes are vital to community

sustainability...

 It encourages the identification of concerns and issues,

promotes the wide generation of ideas for dealing with
those concerns, and helps those involved find a way to
reach agreement about solutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Environmental sustainability requires:

1. Maintenance of biodiversity (genes, species and
ecosystems)
2. Protection of natural capital (air, water, soils etc)
3. Maintenance of the energy and material cycles of the
planet
4. Health and resilience of all life support systems.
 This can be achieved by:

1. Reduce dependence upon finite, virgin resources like

Fossil fuels, minerals and metals
2. Nature must not be subjected to increased concentrations
of substances produced by society.
 This requires that consideration be given to the

biodegradability of substances and the length of time it

takes the earth to reabsorb them.

3. The physical basis for the productivity and biodiversity of

nature must be not systematically degraded.
 This requires that we protect diverse and special habitats.

4. There must be efficient use and fair distribution of

resources to enable humans to meet their needs.
 This requires a reduction in consumerism, especially

among wealthy nations

ECONOMIC
SUSTAINABILITY
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

 The economic sustainability ensures that the industry

or business is making profit without creating much
damage to environment/ecology.
 Economic growth is expressed in terms of Gross

Domestic Product (GDP).

 This is the total amount of production produced within

a nation, within one year.

 Economic growth has to be sustainable, if it improves

quality of human life.

 Thus population factor must be included to ensure fair

resource consumption.
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
 The concept of sustainable development has received
much recognition after the Stockholm declaration in the year
1972.
 Sustainable development is the development which
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs
. (Definition proposed by the Brundtland Commission in 1987
in their report “Our Common Future”).
Sustainable development should have the following
features:-

1.Satisfying human needs

2. Favouring a good quality of life through
decent standards of living
3. Sharing resources between rich and poor
4. Acting with concern for future generations
5. Looking at the ‘cradle-to-grave’ impact
when consuming
6. Minimizing resource use, waste and
pollution
 WHAT IS TO BE SUSTAINED?
WHAT IS TO BE DEVELOPED

Nature – Earth, Biodiversity, People – Child survival, Life

Ecosystems expectancy, Education, Equity, Equal
opportunity
Life support – Resources,
Environment Economy – Wealth, Production,
Consumption

Community – Cultures, Places Society – Institutions, Social

capital, States, Regions
 MEASURES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 The following are the measures of sustainability

development:-
(i) Technology: Using appropriate technology is one
which is locally adaptable, eco-friendly, cost effective,
resource efficient and culturally suitable.
 Nature is often taken as a model, using the natural

conditions of that region as its components.

 This concept is known as “design with nature”.

(ii) Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Approach:

 The 3-R approach advocating minimization of resource
use, using them again, and recycling the materials. It
reduces pressure on our resources as well as reduces
waste generation and pollution.
(iii) Promoting Environmental Education and Awareness:
 Making environmental education the centre of all learning

process will greatly help in changing the thinking pattern

and attitude of people towards our earth and the
environment.

(iv) Resource Utilization as Per Carrying Capacity:

 Any system can sustain a limited number of organisms on a

long-term basis which is known as its carrying capacity.

 If the carrying capacity of a system is crossed (say, by over

exploitation of a resource), environmental degradation starts.

(v) Improving Quality of Life Including Social, Cultural and

Economic Dimensions:
 Development should not focus just on one-section of
already affluent people.
 It should include sharing of benefits between the rich

and the poor.

 The tribal, ethnic people and their cultural heritage

should also be conserved.

NEXUS BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 Technology is the offspring of science. Technological

innovation can be seen as a „double edged sword‟,
with respect to sustainable development.
1. Technology improves quality of life, eliminate diseases
and increase life expectancy
2.Technology creates irreparable environmental damage
due to resource extraction and pollution of air, water, soil.
 As technology advances,
 The environmental degradation accelerates exponentially.

 Benefits of technological innovations are mostly enjoyed by

the developed countries.

 The technology remains as a dream for underdeveloped

countries which still face poverty, inadequate sanitation

facilities etc.
 Hence it is essential to integrate technology, society into

sustainability.
 Technology can support sustainability by

1.Conserving natural capital (renewable and nonrenewable

resources)
2. Reducing waste and pollution
3. Raising efficiency standards
4. Finding substitutes for toxic/hazardous materials
 Pollution prevention and cleaner production
technologies are more cost effective than end of pipe
waste treatment technology.
 Some of the technological applications towards

sustainable development in various sectors are given

below.
1. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals-

environmental health, economic profitability, and social and
economic equity. Some of the common ways towards
sustainable agriculture are:
a) Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
b) Rotational Grazing
c) Soil conservation
d) Water quality/wetlands
e) Cover crops
f) Crop/ landscape diversity
g) Nutrient management
h) Agro-forestry
2. SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
 Sustainable energy is the energy that, in its production or
consumption, has minimal negative impacts on human health
and the healthy functioning of vital ecological systems,
including the global environment. This can be achieved by
using the following:
a. Renewable energy sources
i. Solar
ii. Biomass (It is a renewable energy resource derived from the
carbonaceous waste of various human and natural activities. It is
derived from numerous sources, including the by-products from
the timber industry, agricultural crops, raw material from the
forest, major parts of household waste and wood.)
iii. Wind
iv. Tide
v. Geothermal Heat
b. Energy efficient systems - upgrading the efficiency of
the existing equipment, reduction of energy loss, saving
of fuel, and optimization of its operating conditions and
service life provide an ecologically safe strategy.
CHALLENGES TO SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
 The path of sustainable development can only lead us

to the future.
 Some of the major challenges exist in the modern

world that may hinder the effort towards sustainable

development are given below:-
 1. Misconception about sustainable development The

popular perception that development and environment

protection should not go together, has to be changed.
 2. Population explosion in developing economies

(require more food, energy, goods)

 3. Over exploitation of natural resources in developed

countries (resulting in imbalance between developed &

underdeveloped countries)
4. Poverty (To achieve sustainable development, eradication of
poverty is vital.
5. Over dependence on fossil fuels leading to global warming &
climate change
6. Loss in Biodiversity
7. Freshwater scarcity
8. High cost of appropriate technology to tap renewable energy
sources
9. Poor solid waste management system (focusing on mere waste
disposal)
10. Public awareness
11. Absence of strict environment laws and legislations to control
pollution
12. Absence of adequate political and industrial will for
moving towards a sustainable future
13. Lack of co-ordination between the three pillars of
sustainable development – Economy, Society,
Environment – in finding long term solutions.
14.Corruption and misuse of sustainable development
assistance funds.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS (MDGs)
 The United Nations Millennium Development
Goals are eight goals
 191 UN member states have agreed to try to
achieve by the year 2015.
 The United Nations Millennium Declaration,
signed in September 2000
 commits world leaders to combat poverty,
hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental
degradation, and discrimination against
women.
 The MDGs are derived from thisDeclaration,
and all have specific targets and indicators.
1.To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
2. To achieve universal primary education;
3. To promote gender equality and empower
women;
4. To reduce child mortality;
5. To improve maternal health;
6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other
diseases;
7. To ensure environmental sustainability;
and
8. To develop a global partnership for the
development
The MDGs are inter-dependent;
allthe MDG influence health, and health
influences all the MDGs.

For example, better health enables children to
learn and adults to earn.

Gender equality is essential to the achievement
of better health.
 Reducing poverty, hunger and environmental
degradation positively influences, but also
depends on, better health.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
GOALS (SDGs)
 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the
Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member
States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty,
protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and
prosperity by 2030.
 The 17 SDGs are integrated - that is, they recognize that
action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that
development must balance social, economic and
environmental sustainability.
 Through the pledge to Leave No One Behind, countries have
committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first.
That is why the SDGs are designed to bring the world to several
life-changing ‘zeros’, including zero poverty, hunger, AIDS and
discrimination against women and girls.
 Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The
creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources
from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every
The 17 sustainable development goals
(SDGs) to transform our world:
 GOAL 1: No Poverty

GOAL 2: Zero Hunger GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality

GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-  GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities
being and Communities

GOAL 4: Quality Education  GOAL 12: Responsible

GOAL 5: Gender Equality Consumption and Production
GOAL 6: Clean Water and  GOAL 13: Climate Action
Sanitation  GOAL 14: Life Below Water

GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean
 GOAL 15: Life on Land
Energy
 GOAL 16: Peace and Justice
 GOAL 8: Decent Work and
Economic Growth Strong Institutions
 GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation  GOAL 17: Partnerships to
and Infrastructure achieve the Goal
The main differences of SDGs
from MDGs:
 SDGs are more universal than MDGs
 SDGs are more comprehensive and specific than
MDGs
 SDGs have higher standards than MDGs
 SDGs pay more attention to the bidirectional
nature of coopration than MDGs did
 Data revolution
 Transformation of the development paradigm
CLEAN DEVELOPMENT
MECHANISM (CDM)
 The Clean Development Mechanism is regarded as one of
the most important internationally implemented market
based mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions.
 Created under the Kyoto Protocol, the CDM was
designed to help developed nations meet domestic
greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction commitments by investing
in low-cost emission reduction projects in developing
countries.
 The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM),
established under the Kyoto Protocol, is the primary
international offset program in existence today.
 It generates offset through investments in GHG
reduction, and avoidance projects in developing countries.
 These offset credits, called Certified Emission
Reduction credits (CERs), represent a reduction in one metric
ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to the atmosphere.
 Developed countries can use CERs to more cost
effectively achieve their Kyoto Protocol GHG emission
reduction targets.
  The stated purpose of the Clean Development Mechanism is to
help developing countries achieve sustainable development,
and assist industrialized countries in complying with their
emission reduction commitments

PURPOSE OF CLEAN DEVELOPMENT

MECHANISM
 Private companies fund projects in developing countries that
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
 They must also meet sustainable development criteria and the
“additionality” requirement, which means the emission
reductions made, must be “additional” to what would have been
possible without CDM funding.
 Upon verification, the CDM awards these projects certified
emission reductions (CERs), each equivalent to one ton of
carbon dioxide.
 CERs are then sold to developed countries, which use them
to meet a part of their reduction commitments under the
Kyoto Protocol.
 CERs are also called “offset credits” because they
“offset” the developed countries’ emissions with reductions in
developing countries.
 CDM allows countries to continue emitting green house
gases, so long as they pay for reductions made elsewhere.
 The justification for this is based on the premise that it
would be far more expensive to implement emission reduction
in industrialized countries than in developing countries.
 It would help developing countries to gain sustainable
development benefits from the entry of “clean” and more
energy efficient technologies