MCN-201:

SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING

MODULE 1
 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
● Sustainability refers achieving our
to
without affecting the
capacity
generations to achieve their goals. goals of
● Sustainability means that there is a chance that
future will
humans and other forms of life on our planet
continue to survive for as long as we are here.
● In addition to natural resources, we also need
social and economic resources. Sustainability is
not just environmentalism.
● Sustainability was built on the idea of managing
the environment.
 Why do we need sustainability?
● The general goal of environmental sustainability is to evens
things out.
● As we’ve seen, environmental sustainability provides huge
benefits for human health and that of all other species.
● Sustainability can increase life expectancy by providing
healthier living conditions and better healthcare, which could
also lessen the divide between the rich and poor.
● Sustainable development encourages more responsible
manufacturing and production, covering the industrial side of
waste and pollution.
● It also encourages companies, industries, and governments
to make decisions based on long-term consequences,
 Concept & evolution
of Sustainability
Pillars of Sustainability
The three bottom lines, or pillars, are:
● Economic Sustainability
● Social Sustainability
● Environmental Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Economic Sustainability takes into account the social and ecological consequences of
economic activity. It incorporates new paradigms like circular economy, cradle to grave etc.
Additionally, economic sustainability also means that human communities across the
globe are able to maintain their independence and have access to the resources that they
require, financial and other, to meet their needs.

Social Sustainability
A socially sustainable society is one in which all members have equal rights, all share
equitably in societal benefits, and all participate equally in the decision-making process.
Universal human rights and basic necessities are attainable by all people, who have access
to enough resources in order to keep their families and communities healthy and secure.

Environmental Sustainability
Ecological integrity is maintained, all of earth’s environmental systems are kept in balance
while natural resources within them are consumed by humans at a rate where they are
able to replenish themselves.
Economic Sustainability
● Economic sustainability refers to practices that
economic development of a support the long-term
environmental,
company or social, and cultural elements. while also protecting
nation
● Today, economic sustainability is a goal that very few organizations
achieve, despite a fairly universal understanding of what types of
business practices (e.g., burning of fossil fuels, creating food waste,
leveraging harmful manufacturing methods) contribute to climate
change.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY EXAMPLES

● A variety of economic sustainability examples are taking hold
around the world.
● In some cases, businesses and governmental agencies are improving
their sustainability practices to reduce their carbon footprint.
AIR-TO-WATER INNOVATIONS
● One of the most exciting examples is emerging technology that can
extract water from the air.
● Several companies have developed or are working on these types of
innovations.
● For example, Zero Mass Water’s system, which is powered by solar
panels, captures air with a fan, filters out dust and pollutants, and
separates out the water. It has been installed in more than 40 countries.

GROWTH OF RECYCLING
● Recycling is still one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
● Today, a variety of companies have made a business out of recycling or
its counterparts: upcycling, downcycling, e-cycling, and precycling.
● These include local recycling centers, websites like Ebay, vintage and
pre-owned clothing shops, and apps such as LetGo.
MICRO-FARMING
● Micro-farming, also known as urban farming, is
farming on residential or commercial property of
less than five acres.
● Micro-farming is a relatively easy way for a
community to improve the food security of its
residents and boost local economic growth while
benefiting the environment.
● Each micro-farm offers benefits such as reduced
carbon emissions, less use of pesticides and
herbicides, and better public health.
● When a micro-farm replaces a grass yard, the
farmer also ensures he or she is using less water
and providing an attractive area for pollinating
Social Sustainability
Social sustainability, as an independent dimension of
sustainable development, and equally important as the
economic or environmental dimension still lacks broad
recognition by scientists as well as by decision makers.”

The five dimensions of social Sustainability are:

● Quality of life
● Equality
● Diversity
● Social Cohesion
● Democracy & Governance
 Quality of Life Social Sustainability
● Quality of life is a big topic and covers many aspects of things that
affect our living qualities.
● For example, affordable housing, physical & mental medical support,
education training opportunities, employment opportunities, access
to support, and of course safety and security.

Equality dimension of Social Sustainability

● Equality is the act to reduce disadvantages to certain groups, or
helping certain groups to remove barriers to have more control of
their lives.
● It also includes identifying the causes and reasons of disadvantages
and find ways to reduce them.
 Diversity dimension of Social sustainability
● Diversity includes finding needs from different diverse
groups of different diversity types and assess their needs,
and educating everyone to have diverse viewpoints to
leverage benefits of diversity.
● Social Cohesion dimension of social sustainability
● Social Cohesion means increasing participation by individual in
a target group, as well as helping target groups to access
public and civic institutions. One important factor is to build
links between different target groups in a broader way by
encouraging target groups to contribute to society as well.
● Democracy & Governance
● Governance is to make sure budget and resources are adequate
to sustain sustainability programs and the ability to measure it.
● Environmental Sustainability
● Environmental sustainability aims to improve the quality of human
life without
putting unnecessary strain on the earth's supporting ecosystems. It’s
about creating an equilibrium between consumerist human culture
and the living world. We can do this by living in a way that doesn’t
waste or unnecessarily deplete natural resources
● examples of environmental sustainability
● There are two primary ways in which environmental sustainability
can be achieved: by individuals and by corporations and
government bodies.
● As individuals, we can take small but effective steps towards a more
sustainable lifestyle, like using less water, reducing our meat
consumption and switching to reusable products to reduce our
dependence on single-use plastics.
● From a corporation’s perspective, environmental sustainability may
 Nexus between Technology and
Sustainable development
★ Technology is a big part of both sustainable
development and how it is done.
★ Not everything that comes from modern technologies is
good.
★ On the contrary, many problems, like those in the
environmental field, are caused by how technology is
used and implemented.
★ Technology development is a big part of meeting SDG
goals because it makes new, more sustainable ways of
developing more efficient and effective.
★ So, we need to make new technologies that help with
research and encourage new ideas.
 The benefits of environmental sustainability
are:

★ We can protect ecosystems

★ We can continue to enjoy nature as it is
★ We can protect endangered species
★ Less pollution in the cities will result in
better respiratory health for all
★ It could halt or reverse the effects of
global warming
★ We won’t be creating huge landfills all over
the world that will take hundreds of years
to break down
★ Robotics, digital twins, and smart building
systems can help businesses become more
efficient and reduce their carbon footprint.
★ Using the cloud, utilities can manage energy
in a sustainable way across whole grids.
★ Technology makes it possible to make new
products and services that use less energy,
chemicals, and water and produce less waste.
★ This is good for the environment and for the
efficiency of operations at the same time.
 Examples of Sustainable
Technology
★ Public and electric transport.
★ LED light technology.
★ Solar power.
★ Carbon capture and storage
technologies.
★ Self-sufficient and LEED buildings
and construction methods
 𝙈 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢 𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙖𝙡𝙨
★
(𝙈 𝘿𝙂𝙨)
At the September 2000 Millennium Summit, the greatest assembly of
world leaders in history adopted the United Nations Millennium
Declaration, pledging member nations to a new global partnership to
reduce extreme poverty and establishing a number of goals with a
2015 deadline.
★ These are known as the Millennium Development Objectives (MDGs).
★ The MDG monitoring framework was amended in 2007 to include four new
goals agreed to by member states at the 2005 World Summit: full and
productive employment and decent work for all, access to
reproductive health, access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, and
protection of biodiversity.
★ Indicators for these new targets were operational in January 2008,
and this framework is used to track progress toward reaching the
Millennium Development Goals..
 𝙈 𝙞𝙡
𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢 𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙖𝙡𝙨
(𝙈 𝘿𝙂𝙨)
Keyfacts
★ Globally, the number of deaths of children under 5 years of
age fell from 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013.
★ In developing countries, the percentage of underweight
children under 5 years old dropped from 28% in 1990 to 17% in
2013.
★ Globally, new HIV infections declined by 38% between 2001 and
2013.
★ Existing cases of tuberculosis are declining, along with
deaths among HIV-negative tuberculosis cases.
★ In 2010, the world met the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals target on access to safe drinking-water, as
measured by the proxy indicator of access to improved
drinking-water sources, but more needs to be done to achieve
the sanitation target.
 The following are the eight Millennium Development
Goals:
1. to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger;
2. to achieve global primary education;
3. to empower women and promote gender equality;
4. to reduce child mortality;
5. to promote maternal health;
6. to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases;
7. to promote environmental sustainability; and
8. to develop a universal partnership for
development.
MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Millennium Development Goal 1 has three targets:
1. To halve the proportion of people whose daily income is
less than $1.25
2. To achieve full and productive employment, as well as
decent work for all, including young people and
women
3. To halve the proportion of individuals suffering from
hunger in the period between 1990 and 2015.
MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education
There is only one target for millennium development goal
2:
1. To ensure that children universally – including both boys
and girls – will be able to complete a full course of
primary education by 2015.
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
There was only one target under millennium development goal
3:
MDG 4: Reduce child mortality
The Millennium Development Goal 4 has only one target:
● To reduce the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds in the period
between 1990 and 2015

MDG 5: Improve maternal health

In this regard, millennium development goal 5 has two targets:
1. To reduce the maternal mortality ratio by 75 percent
2. To achieve universal access to reproductive health

MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other major

diseases
In this regard, Millennium Development Goal 6 has three targets:
3. To halt by 2015 and have started to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
4. To achieve global access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for those who need it
by 2010
5. To have ceased and started reversal of the incidence of malaria and other
major diseases by 2015
MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
As such, millennium development goal 7 has 4 targets:
1. To integrate the principles of sustainable development into every nation’s
policies and programmes, and also reverse the depletion of environmental
resources
2. To reduce biodiversity loss and achieve a substantial reduction in the rate of
loss by 2010
3. To halve the proportion of the universal population without sustainable access
to clean and safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.
4. To achieve substantial improvement in the lives of a minimum of 100 million slum
dwellers by 2020.
MDG 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Millennium development goal 8 has 6 targets that seek to develop global
partnership for development, namely:
● To further develop an open, predictable, rule-based, non-discriminatory trading
and economic system
● To address the special needs of the least developed countries
● To address the special needs of small island developing States and landlocked
developing countries
● To deal exhaustively with the debt problems of developing nations
● To provide access to affordable essential drugs in the developing world – in
collaboration with pharmaceutical companies
● To avail benefits of new technologies, especially information and
communications, in collaboration with the private sector
Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs)
The goals focus on improving inequality
regarding health, education, and the
economy, with a large focus on helping
to tackle climate change and preserve
the oceans
● There are 17 sustainable development
goals
1. No Poverty
➢ End extreme poverty reduce half the population
living in poverty, implement protection systems,
ensure equal rights to economic resources and basic
services

2. Zero Hunger
➢ end hunger, end all forms of malnutrition, double
agricultural productivity and the income of
small-scale food producers.

3. Good Health and Well-Being

➢ Reduce maternal mortality, end preventable
newborn and child death, end multiple disease
epidemics, reduce premature mortality
4. Quality Education
Ensure free and quality primary and secondary
education, give children access to early childhood
development, ensure equal access for men and
women to afford higher education choices.

5. Gender Equality
End discrimination against women, eliminate all
forms of violence against women, ensure access to
feminine health care, and ensure equal rights.

6. Clean Water and Sanitation

Provide equal universal access to safe drinking
water, sanitation, and hygiene, reduce water
pollution.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
Increase renewable energy use, improve energy use efficiency, enhance
international cooperation regarding clean energy access

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

Sustain economic growth, increase economic productivity, promote
tourism, and grant access to financial institution access for all.

9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Reliable infrastructure for all, sustainable industrialization,
increased access of small-scale industries and enterprises in
developing countries, rendering industries sustainable, and improving
technology in all industries.

10. Reduced Inequalities

better financial market and institution regulation, legitimate
institutions that represent developing countries in global decisions,
and safe migration.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
safe and affordable housing for all, safe and affordable
transport for all, monitoring air quality and waste
management to reduce negative city impact, and to provide
green public space
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
implementing a 10-year framework program for sustainable
development and consumption, achieving sustainable
management, encourage company sustainable practices,
sustainable public procurement practices.
13. Climate Action
being prepared for climate related disasters, integrating
climate policies into national policies, and raising
climate awareness
14. Life Below Water
preventing marine pollution, protecting marine and coastal
ecosystems.
15. Life on Land
ensuring freshwater ecosystem health, sustainable
management of forests, and integrating biodiversity values
into national planning.

16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Reduce violence and death rates, end all forms of violence
against children, and ensuring public access to information
and freedom rights

17. Partnership for the Goals

Enhance developing country international support, enhancing
international cooperation,increase developing country
exports, and enhance global economic stability

Finally, The SDGs are a global effort towards a socially just and
environmentally sustainable future, where no one is left behind.
 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

● Clean Development Mechanism was instituted in

2001 under Kyoto Protocol.
● Came into force on 16th February 2005 after Russia and
European Community ratified it.
● Major non participants USA and Australia.

KYOTO PROTOCOL
To tackle the challenges posed by global warming and
climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiated the framing of a
protocol during the climate change meeting held at
Kyoto, Japan in 1997.
Objectives:
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an
instrument of cooperation between developed
and developing country parties Three main
objectives:
★ Assist developed countries fulfill their
commitments to reduce emissions
★ Assist developing country parties achieve
sustainable development
★ Contribute to achieving stabilization of
concentrations of GHGs Criteria for
participation
 Typical Clean Development Mechanism Projects
● Energy—Renewable energy projects, such as
hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass; energy
efficiency measures, such as energy-savings
lamps; and energy efficiency measures in
industries

● Transport—Low-carbon transport, such as bus

rapid transit and electric vehicles

● Urban—Methane recovery and utilization from

wastewater and solid waste treatment

● Agriculture and natural

resource management—Biogas and