3rd Brunel International Lecture:

Delivering Sustainable Development

Gold Coast, 3 October 2001; Brisbane, 3 October 2001; Sydney, 8 October 2001; Melbourne, 11 October 2001; Auckland, 10 October 2001; London 12 February 2002; Leeds 12 March 2002; Durban, 30 April 2002; Johannesburg, 2 May 2002; East London (South Africa), 7 May 2002

Roger Venables Managing Director, Crane Environmental Ltd, and Chairman of the Institution of Civil Engineers Environment & Sustainability Board

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Delivering sustainable development

Six central contentions of this lecture:

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Six central contentions: 1. Sustainable development needs an immense contribution from engineers and engineering. 2. It needs engineers to work with the many others involved to do that well, and with an open mind. 3. The best engineering and construction is, perhaps, already or almost good enough.

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4. But we need to make sustainable development normal. 5. Engineers generally must take a lead and play their full part. 6. Fuzziness in the definitions of sustainable development is no excuse for doing nothing. Practical action is possible now and needed by everyone involved in development.

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Coverage of lecture:

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UK Governments 1999 Sustainable Development Strategy both reflects and leads public opinion, attitudes and actions

Called A better quality of life, it defines SD as:

social progress which meets the needs of everyone effective protection of the environment prudent use of natural resources maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment

Sustainable Construction Strategy 2000 Building a better quality of life, now being updated by DTi Workshop yesterday
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Forum for the Future definition Sustainable development is a process, which enables all people to realise their potential and improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earths life support systems.

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Thus a distinction needs to be made between a sustainable society or sustainable living as the goal and sustainable development as the process that will get us there

However, let us also accept that sustainable development is also used as a term about built development - in the UK, sustainable construction is being used
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Economic Success

Severe environmental damage

Social disquiet or unrest

Sustainable Development

Social Success

Does not proceed, or economic loss

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High Environmental Quality

Economic Success

Un-sustainable project Social Success

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High Environmental Quality

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UK Strategy says that delivery of sustainable development must be across all sectors of society and DTI is pushing industry sectors to produce their own strategies

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We can sub-divide SD delivery many ways, eg: sustainable construction sustainable manufacturing industry sustainable farming sustainable forestry sustainable transport and tourism all of which become elements of sustainable living
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So, in short: Sustainable Development is development that enables Sustainable Living Delivering sustainable development will enable us all to live more and more sustainably

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Two important provisos: 1. Lecture complementary to Special Issue of ICEs Journal Civil Engineering, Nov. 2000: Sustainable development: Making it happen

2. Not discussing climate change, nor other major related political issues such as the call for population control just two of many drivers for sustainable development

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The two most-commonly-asked questions:

What should I do differently?

Can we recognise a sustainable development when we see one?

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So, what is it that makes for sustainable development? Is it: Where it is: land use, ecological impact? What it is or is for: materials choice and use, aesthetics, function? How it was built: construction impacts? How it performs: joy in use, energy and water efficiency, maintainability, durability, flexibility, financial success? All four at once?
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Civil engineering and sustainable development

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Civil engineering and sustainable development A water supply project: a balance between use of natural resources and social and economic benefits brought to people But: concern on particular projects about disruption to natural processes scale of the infrastructure + demand-led adverse impact on some for the benefit of others Need for the right balance
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The right balance has not always been achieved in the past: We have mastered the art of directing the great sources of nature for the use and convenience of man

BUT
We have done it and may still do it in disharmony with the environment and with some of our fellow citizens
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How well did we do in the past?

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Transport infrastructure: Marc Brunels Thames Tunnel lasted well over a century before major refurbishment was needed Isombard Kingdom Brunels Great Western Railway from London to Bristol (completed in 1841) still in use today

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These examples pass the high quality design test, for example in durability and flexibility and railways are now considered a green form of transport Yet they are rarely economically successful over the long term, and 19th Century Railway bills subjected to strong opposition at all stages of their promotion
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Use of materials: Timber viaducts became uneconomic when Baltic timbers were no longer available No record of Brunel or GWR planting new trees to re-grow stock used for their bridges I K Brunels management style

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So, is the GWR an example of sustainable civil engineering or not? You be the judge!

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In summary so far: Many engineers have for many years been trying to take into account the issues in the sustainable development concept` But we and our clients have taken insufficient account of the impact of construction and operations on the environment and society We have paid too little attention to resource efficiency.
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However We have recently learnt a great deal about how to avoid inadequacies of much of past practice. We now know what actions to take to deliver a less-unsustainable future and, at best, a sustainable future Sustainable development needs an immense contribution from engineers and engineering.
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Will show later that delivering sustainable development is possible First - Issues and challenges to resolve:

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Issues and challenges to resolve: SD challenge is very large but we can tackle it It involves new ways of thinking about development, eg: The idea that projects need to be in better harmony with more sectors of society, not just with select groups The need for a whole-life approach whole-life costing and whole-life environmental assessment
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Issues and challenges to resolve: Recognition Often in the detail The resource efficiency challenge A great need Factor 10 A few are demonstrating dramatic changes Social acceptability Disconnection between individuals action and environmental impact so they ask: Why do I have to change? Dealing with conflicting single-issue groups Who decides on the greater good Who decides who decides

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Issues and challenges to resolve: Assessment of impacts How far afield do we look for impacts, both positive and negative? Local Regional State World? Timescales How far into the future do we assess? (Were bad at futurology!) Do ones best on basis of current knowledge eg: long life, loose fit, low energy

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Issues and challenges to resolve: The perception that sustainable development is only for the rich Its not! a myth that it always costs extra Sustainable development is crucial to alleviating poverty eg good low-cost housing Valuing the environment Competing views Payment vs compensation Human values and the environment We make value judgements about good and bad
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Projects and Initiatives to help move us forward:

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Maidenhead Flood Relief Scheme Design to very high environmental standards first Edmund Hambly Memorial ICE prize Will appear to be a natural river Costing 98M, yet cost-effective Now sustaining life in Maidenhead by significantly reducing the risk of flooding Yet it should not have been necessary if a different approach to flood plain development had been adopted
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The Institution of Civil Engineers
Environment & Sustainability Board Appropriate Development Panel Overall policy + Position Statements Good (Sustainability) Practice Case Sheets CEEQUAL an environmental assessment and awards scheme BREEAM Sector Sustainability Strategy Engineers Against Poverty Aiming to push good practice
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Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon Led by Carillion plc flagship project Help from The Natural Step Aim is green credentials second to none
Waste management Materials choice, sourcing and supplier support Plant choices and energy-efficient features of the design Transport plans Wildlife and habitat management
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Landfill reduction by composting and recycling of construction waste

50% target reduction from Dartford ( 2500t ) 500 tonnes timber composted or recycled 400 tonnes paper and cardboard Compost added to topsoil Saving approx. 20k To-date only 250 tonnes removed to landfill 300 tonnes concrete recycled

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Waste minimisation and Recycling

70 million tonnes of waste every year in UK This is, per person, 4 x the domestic waste each person generates per year

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Construction Industry Environmental Forum + CIRIA Environment Programme

Major influence on leading industry players Considering ethical investment and other social issues alongside technical solutions and environmental management

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Delivering sustainable development Other important UK initiatives

UK Governments Construction Clients Panel Movement for Innovation + demo projects BRE Centre for Sustainable Construction BSRIA HR Wallingford TRL Steel Construction Institute Engineers for the 21st Century Enquiry Professional Partnerships for Sustainable Development Forum for the Future

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Since October, the Young Professionals have formed a foundation The International Young Professionals Foundation
www.iypf.org, based in Australia Already engaging Australian business Charlie Hargroves, Ops Director a speaker at Ecofutures: National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development Committed group who want to make a difference

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How do we make sustainable development the normal way of development

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Who buys a product when, and why? 2.5% innovators

13.5% 34% 34% -

Mr & Mrs Jones (the opinion formers or early adopters)

those who keep up with Mr & Mrs Jones (the early majority) the alright-if-the-price-is-OK late majority

16%

the alright-if-I-have-to laggards

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If we think of environmental management of construction; sustainable construction; and sustainable development as if they were products where are they on the product diffusion curve?

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Sales

Awareness?

Sustainable development Awareness? Practice?

Environmental management of construction in the UK

Sustainable construction in the UK

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Time

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Sustainable development characterised by: Design principles known to only a few manufacturers Test-manufactured and test-marketed, for example in a few housing developments Yet elements of the concept are practised more widely than the overall concept

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If sustainable development were a product If we were the marketing department of its owners How would we move Sustainable Development from its small, niche market to being as ubiquitous as Coca Cola is as a drink?

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We would: Identify the next most-likely set of buyers Clients, developers and project leaders, who can take a long-term view Identify the benefits easier planning approval cheaper initial construction much lower operating costs social acceptability easier dis-assembly
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We would: Study why our next target market group buy, how they buy, how they make buying decisions, what advertising messages they respond to Identify and deliver our production and delivery methods, and marketing messages actively present the business case prepare and disseminate case-studies etc use the media, for example at and before Johannesburg 2002

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We would: Move on to consider the same questions for the next target group We can and must do this for sustainable development Marketing Sustainable Development: We all professionals involved in development must do this We you and I can become the marketing department and the sales force for sustainable development
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How? We you and I can become the marketing department and the sales force for sustainable development We can demonstrate the concept as far as we can in our work and personal lives We can target the opinion formers we know our clients, our governments, our friends to do likewise
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Practical actions needed

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The ICEs Sector Strategy Working Party is developing

Society, Sustainability and Civil Engineering: A Strategy & Action Plan

Launch 24 April, ICE 6.30pm

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Action plan builds on past work, and includes lists of actions for four groups:
Clients Civil engineering commercial concerns designers, contractors, suppliers etc Professional and trade groups Individuals including actions they need to persuade Government to undertake

Some examples (mostly in a UK context)

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Practical actions needed: Re-use and improve existing built assets Locate new development appropriately Relate land-use planning to transport & other infrastructure Design for minimum waste and effective use of resources Choose an appropriate design life flexible and durable, or for dis-assembly & re-use elsewhere Minimise life-cycle energy consumption
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Practical actions needed: Utilise renewable energy sources where appropriate Do not pollute the wider environment Preserve and enhance natural features and (appropriate) biodiversity Conserve water resources, not all demand-led Respect people and their local environment, and seek to minimise the adverse social impacts and maximise the positive social impacts of our projects
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Scale of improvement We need modest-scale improvements replicated everywhere alongside large improvements achieved on occasional large-scale projects

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Overall, we should be aiming to create appropriate civil engineering works or buildings: in the right place and to the right scale with a sound choice of materials, and sources with high environmental performance (e.g. energy & water consumption, +ve impact, maintainability) an appropriate design life in harmony with their surroundings and neighbours so that, asap, this way becomes our norm.
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So, if that is what is needed,

How do we move practice forward?

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How do we move practice forward?
Have an open mind A willingness to learn from each other Recognise that no one discipline knows best Consider sustainability in everything we do

Deal more respectfully, considerately yet effectively with all the people involved
Accept there is no longer any excuse for doing nothing, despite the challenges Accept it may take more upfront time
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How do we move practice forward?
Adopt a whole life approach using life-cycle analysis not just life-cycle costing but life-cycle environmental analysis as well Move towards sustainability impact assessment instead of just an environmental impact assessment

Persuade the opinion formers we know especially in our clients to adopt new approaches to their development projects

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How do we move practice forward? Use the extensive guidance already available from wherever on the planet we can find it Look for Factor 10 in all we do: Waste dramatically less Use dramatically less energy and water Generate substantial improvements in social conditions Achieve obvious improvements in the natural and built environments
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How do we move practice forward? Educators have a crucial role in sending civil engineering and other graduates in built and natural environment subjects out into the world understanding what sustainable development is and how deliver it

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How do we move practice forward? By creating
appropriate engineering works or buildings in the right place and scale with a sound choice of materials, and sources

with high environmental performance

an appropriate design life in harmony with their surroundings and neighbours
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How do we move practice forward? By recognising this as a sustainable development project:
exciting, and likely to be beautiful highly efficient (and visibly so if possible) in harmony with its neighbours and surroundings and better for the businesses involved a joy to be in or to experience good for the business and personal lives of those involved
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A challenge: Any 21st century professional engineer who is ignorant of, or ignores, sustainability, who does not seek to deliver more-sustainable solutions, and who does not also seek to live more sustainably, will be an incomplete engineer. True or false?

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Web site for further information www.ice.org.uk then to Knowledge and expertise, Environment & Sustainability Knowledge map Sustainability link to Brunel Lecture Includes links to other relevant sites
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