Sustainability

Engineers in Society
VBB4043

Associate Professor Ir Dr Muhd Fadhil Nuruddin

What is sustainability ???
The definition…..
Sustainable development is a
pattern of resource use that aims to
meet human needs while preserving
the environment so that these needs
can be met not only in the present,
but also for future generations.
The Brundtland Commission convened by
the United Nations in 1983 to address
growing concern "about the accelerating
deterioration of the human environment
and natural resources and the
consequences of that deterioration for
economic and social development."
Since the 1980s, human sustainability
has implied the integration of economic,
social and environmental spheres to:
“meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”
SD is an Oxymoron…..
A collective effort…..
Scientific evidence shows that humanity
is living unsustainably, and a UN report
states that returning human use of
natural resources to within sustainable
limits will require a major collective effort.
Sustainable development does not
focus solely on environmental issues.
The United Nations 2005 World Summit
Outcome Document refers to the
"interdependent and mutually
reinforcing pillars" of sustainable
development as economic
development, social development, and
environmental protection.
 Definition of Sustainability

Sustainable
practices
Sustainability
“Meet the needs
of the present without
“The ability to compromising the
continue a defined ability of future
behavior indefinitely” generations to meet
their own needs”
United Nations, 1987
 Objectives of Sustainable Development

Economic Objective
(Increased efficiency and
growth)

•Income distribution •Environmental assessment

•Employment •Valuation
•Targeted assistance •Internationalism
3 main
objective
of SD

Social Objective Environmental

(Reduce Objective
poverty/increased (Management of
equity) •Popular participation natural resources)
•Consultation
•Pluralism
 Concept of Sustainability Science

A representation of sustainability showing Scheme of sustainable development:

how both economy and society are at the confluence of three constituent
constrained by environmental limits (2003) parts (2006)
 Concept of Sustainability Science

The name of this scientific field reflects a desire to give the generalities
and broad-based approach of “sustainability” a stronger analytic and
scientific underpinning as it:

... brings together scholarship and practice, global and local

perspectives from north and south, and disciplines across the natural
and social sciences, engineering, and medicine — it can be usefully
thought of as "neither ‘‘basic’’ nor ‘‘applied’’ research but as a field
defined by the problems it addresses rather than by the disciplines it
employs; it serves the need for advancing both knowledge and action
by creating a dynamic bridge between the two.“

Sustainability science, like sustainability itself, derives some impetus

from the concepts of sustainable development and environmental
science.
Sustainability Science Focus Areas
Sustainability Science areas enfold defined criteria and areas that
constitute indices for measurement.
Amongst the indices are:
– Human Development Index
– Environmental Performance Index (formerly known as ESI)
– Genuine Progress Index
– Happy Planet Index
– Sustainability Index
– Human Impact Index
– Ecosystem Richness Indicator
– Economic Pressure Indicator
Human Development Index (HDI)

Three dimensions in the HDI

• Life expectancy
• Knowledge and education
• Standard of living
World EPI Indicator 2010

Source: Environment
Performance Indicator
(EPI) 2010
 World EPI Ranking 2006

1. New Zealand 88.0 11. Portugal 82.9 21. Italy 79.8

2. Sweden 87.8 12. France 82.5 22. Germany 79.4
3. Finland 87.0 13. Iceland 82.1 23. Spain 79.2
4. Czech Republic 86.0 14. Japan 81.9 24. Taiwan 79.1
5. United Kingdom 85.6 15. Costa Rica 81.6 25. Slovakia 79.1
6. Austria 85.2 16. Switzerland 81.4 26. Chile 78.9
7. Denmark 84.2 17. Colombia 80.4 27. Netherlands 78.7
8. Canada 84.0 18. Norway 80.2 28. United States 78.5
9. Malaysia 83.3 19. Greece 80.2 29. Cyprus 78.4
10. Ireland 83.3 20. Australia 80.1 30. Argentina 77.7
 Malaysia EPI Indicator 2010 – Area of Concern

Score
SCORES AND RAW DATA (MALAYSIA) (% proximity to
target)
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Air Pollution (effects on humans)
• Environmental Burden of Disease 67.82

ECOSYSTEM VITALITY
• Fisheries 52.83
• Trawling Intensity 5.66352
• Climate Change 42.33
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Per Capita 41.9171
• CO2 Emissions Per Electricity Generation 8.87401
Air Pollution (effects on ecosystem) 44.72
• Nitrogen Oxides Emissions 44.9843
• Ecosystem Ozone 35.2118
• Sulfur Dioxide Emissions 51.8453
• Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound Emissions 32.5925
• Water Quality Index 54.6281
• Marine Protection Source: Environment 29.6128
Performance Indicator
(EPI) 2010
 Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)
The genuine progress indicator (GPI) is an alternative metric system which is an
addition to the national system of accounts that has been suggested to replace, or
supplement, gross domestic product (GDP) as a metric of economic growth.

GPI is an attempt to measure whether a country's growth, increased production of

goods, and expanding services have actually resulted in the improvement of the
welfare (or well-being) of the people in the country.

GPI advocates claim that it can more reliably measure economic progress, as it
distinguishes between worthwhile growth and uneconomic growth.

The GPI will be zero if the financial costs of crime and pollution equal the financial
gains in production of goods and services, all other factors being constant.

1. Resource depletion
2. Crime
3. Ozone depletion
4. Family breakdown
5. Air, water, and noise pollution
6. Farmland
7. Wetlands
 Core Concepts of Sustainability
Future Thinking:
Intergenerational responsibility 1

Environmental Thinking:
2 Carrying capacity of the planet
to absorb waste and support life

Social Justice:
Equity, Dignity, Basic services, Human rights, 3
Stakeholder voices

4 Economic:
responsibilities
 Traditional quality of life indicators

A view of community as three separate, unrelated parts: an economic

part, a social part and an environmental part. Traditional quality of life
indicators tend to measure these 3 parts separately
 Sustainability quality of life indicators

A view of community as three concentric circles: the economy exists

within society, and both the economy and society exist within the
environment. Sustainability indicators attempt to measure the extent
to which these boundaries are respected
 Global Warming and Climate Changes

Sea level “Very Likely

rise of that" hot
extreme heat
1-1.5m waves and
by 2100 heavy rain fall
Increase in will become
hurricane and more
Snow cover
tropical frequently
to shrink
Temperature cyclone
with
increase of strength since
increases in
2 - 6oC by thaw depth 1970 can be
2100 attributed to
1 2 3 man made
4 global 5
Data source: (IPCC, AR4,2007)
warming
 Hurricane & Floods (2005-2010)

USA
Hurricane Katrina
New Orleans Pakistan
2005
Pakistan floods
August 2010
CHAD GCC
Floods Indonesia
KSA 12/12/2009
02/06/2010
Oman 6/07/2010 Floods
UAE 06/2/2010 Tsunami 2010
New Orleans, USA, 2005
New Orleans, USA, 2005
Worldwide Rapid Urbanization
 Buildings Construction and Climate Changes
Concrete and
1 Cement
Produce CO2

Heat gain Construction

4 and Electricity 2
Wastes
Consumptions

Land uses
3
Modification
Malaysia’s Plan in Reducing
CO2 emissions

Malaysia is adopting an
indicator of a voluntary
reduction of up to 40 % in
terms of GHG’s
emissions intensity by
the year 2020 compared
to 2005 levels.
(APEC, Energy Overview, 2010)
 CO2 Emissions, Population & Electricity Use

Population/electicity/CO2 emission

7000
M illio n /T W h /M T

6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0

S ingapore
M alay s ia
G erm any

K eney a
Nigeria
A fric a

B raz il
China

India
US A

UA E
UK

Population Electricity Consumption CO2 Emissions

Data source: (International Energy Agency,2010)

Is Energy generation from fossil
fuels sustainable ?

Malaysia as a case study !

• In 2004, Malaysia was ranked 24th

in terms of worlds oil reserves and
13th in natural gas.
• Oil and gas reserves in Malaysia
amounted to 20.18 billion barrels
equivalent in 2007.
• In the current production rate,
Malaysia will be able to produce oil
up to 18 years and gas for 35 years.
(Cha and OH,2010 )
Trend in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels

Most of the Observed

increase in global
average temperatures
since the mid-20th
century is very likely
due to observed increase
in anthropogenic GHG’s
concentration.

IEA-2010 IPCC AR4,2007

 CO2 emissions by sectors

CO2 emissions

• The IEA projects a 1.7%

per year growth rate to
2030.

• The U.S. EIA projects a

2.0% per year rate in the
absence of additional
policies.

• IEA suggests that

emissions will reach 40.4
GtCO2 in 2030, an increase
of 14.3 GtCO2 over the
2004 level.

(IPCC AR4,2007) (IEA,2010)

Chacaltaya Glacier, Bolivia (1940 - 2005)

By 2005, the glacier had separated into three distinct small bodies
(IPCC AR4, 2007)
Disappearance of lake Chad in Africa
 What are the main GHG’s ?

1. Carbon Dioxide- CO2

2. Methane- CH4
3. Ozone- O3 1 2

4. Nitrous Oxide- N2 O
5. Water Vapor- H2O

5
Kyoto Protocol, 1998 3 4
 Electricity
Generation from
fossil fuels

Household
appliances
 Global Warming Mitigation Action
• Greening of the cities:

– Parks & greenbelts

– Urban villages
– Green buildings
– Bio-remediation

• Landscape restoration
and rehabilitation
 Implications: Landscape

• Role of landscaping
– Cooling and air scrubbing
– Green roofs and buffers
– Interior plant scaping
• Controversial issues
– Water use
– Yard waste
 Cement Replacing Materials

Cement Replacement Materials in

Construction Industry
Steel Reinforced Concrete Fiber Reinforcement
Wind Energy
Photovoltaique Panels
Hydroelectric Power Generation
Save Electricity
Recycling of Waste Materials
Sustainability
 Conclusion

Project site
Economy
Deconstruction Design Utility
Durability
Comfort

Renovation Construction

Maintenance Operation

Sustainability as a process should be considered at all phases

Thank you

Questions