Unit Description and General Aims

The objective in presenting this unit is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the concepts associated with sustainability, and the need for sustainability in engineering in different societal contexts, in order to incorporate these in real world problems and projects.

The subject matter covered in this unit will include: a detailed account of key sustainability concepts and issues related to energy, water, food, and environment; the importance of energy analysis in relation to energy conservation and the key role played by technological innovations in sustainability; renewable energy technology concepts; and, the social and other challenges that often accompany the implementation of sustainable developments.

Students will be also be guided into comprehending that professional engineers are increasingly required to play a leadership role in sustainable development, overcoming global challenges such as resource depletion, environmental pollution, population growth and damage to ecosystems, and be empowered by this knowledge to make sustainable development a key component of their work.

At the conclusion of this unit, students will comprehend that sustainability is reliant upon recycling, generating more resources, and reducing the pressures of consumption on those resources from population growth and affluence. There is also a project component in this unit whereby students will undertake a case study on the societal consequences of a specific technological innovation in regard to globalization and climate change.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this Unit, students are expected to be able to:

1. Explain key sustainability concepts related to energy, water, food, environment, ecosystem and biodiversity.
   Bloom's Level 2
2. Evaluate social, political, technical, economical, philosophical and environmental factors affecting sustainability.
   Bloom’s Level 5
3. Evaluate the use of energy and calculate energy savings.
   Bloom's Level 5
4. Demonstrate the impact of engineering practices on sustainability.
   Bloom’s Level 6
5. Apply the concepts of sustainable future relating to infrastructure, manufacturing and material resources in meeting global demand.
   Bloom's Level 3
6. Outline measures that lead to building a sustainable society, present and future.
   Bloom's Level 2
7. Analyse the sustainable development agenda in national and international contexts.
   Bloom’s Level 3

Student Assessment

Overall Requirement: An overall final unit score of 50% or above must be achieved to pass the unit once all assessment, including the exam, has been completed.

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Suggested Textbook

• Dorf, RC 2001, Technology, Humans and Society: Toward a Sustainable World, Academic Press, ISBN-13: 978-0122210907

Reference Materials

• Bell, S 2011, Engineers, Society and Sustainability, Morgan & Claypool Publishers, ISBN 978-1-608457892
• Larson, A, 2011, Sustainability, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, Open Textbook Library, ISBN 13: 978-1-453314128
• Theis, T, Tomkin, F (ed.) 2010, Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation, Open Textbook Library
• Peer-reviewed journals
• Knovel library: http://app.knovel.com
• IDC Technologies publications
• Other material and online collections as advised during the lectures

Journal, website

A number of peer-reviewed journals and websites (advised during lectures)

Unit Content

Topic 1

Introduction

1. Sustainability and its importance, purposes, challenges, and requirements
2. Limits to exponential growth on a finite planet
3. Circular economy
4. Dynamic aspects of sustainability
5. The three pillars of sustainability
6. Sustainability and business
7. Sustainability as an integrating concept
8. How did we get here? Introduction to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Topic 2

Primary Ecological Issues

1. Energy – world energy usage, impacts of material production, problems with current waste management, reducing the impact of material used
2. Water – water resource and use world-wise, problems associated with current water systems, sustainable water management
3. Food – world food production, energy and environmental impacts, alternatives (local/organic)
4. Shelter - current building styles and problems, sustainable architecture
5. Sustainability and the natural environment – climate change, energy, water, biodiversity and land use, chemicals, toxins and heavy metals, air pollution, waste management, ozone depletion, oceans and fisheries, deforestation

Topic 3

Industrial Ecology

1. Industrial Ecology
2. Social dimensions of industrial ecology
3. Life cycle assessment
4. Systems Engineering
5. Urban ecology and urban metabolism
6. Future of industrial ecology

Topic 4

Energy use analysis

1. Principles of analysing energy use
2. Energy auditing tools and techniques
3. Energy conservation techniques
4. Determining energy savings

Topic 5

Renewable Energy Technology

1. Alternate energy systems
2. Renewable energy production
3. Appropriate building techniques
4. Impact on humans and their environment
5. Perform engineering calculations of power and energy availability of renewable energy sources
6. Green Building Design and Concepts

Topics 6 and 7

Sustainability and Technology

1. Technological systems and innovation
2. Social goals
3. Benefits of technology
4. Technology and social progress
5. Technological solutions for carbon mitigation and carbon adaptation
6. Limits to technological solutions
7. Hybrid engineering
8. Sustainable engineering
9. Emerging technological innovations
10. New technology and innovative sustainability approaches

Topic 8

The path toward a sustainably built environment

1. Designing and operating green workplaces and buildings
2. Protecting the environment through energy efficiency and renewable energy
3. Providing green infrastructure: water, energy, and transportation
4. Planning and building sustainable cities

Topic 9

Sustainability Management

1. Air pollution effects, measurement and control
2. Energy, materials, production, water
3. Recycling and reusing
4. Resource and waste management
5. Economics of sustainability

Topic 10

Sustainability and Society

1. Inequality and poverty
2. Societal consequences of technological developments
3. Sustainability, society and social change
4. Links between globalization, climate change, poverty and engineering
5. Suggested solutions

Topic 11

UN SDGs and its application

1. Economic, environmental, and social trends
2. Global inequities in all dimensions of sustainability
3. The three pillars of sustainable development
4. Key features and principles of sustainable development
5. Globalization, population growth, energy use, and sustainable development
6. Health and sustainability

Topic 12

Unit Review

In the final week students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunity will be provided for a review of student work and to clarify any outstanding issues. Instructors/facilitators may choose to cover a specialized topic if applicable to that cohort.

Software/Hardware Used

Software

• Software: N/A
• Version: N/A
• Instructions:  N/A
• Additional resources or files: N/A

Hardware

• N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback