Post on 01-Apr-2015
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Sustainability
SSEE
11 March 2010
by
David Rice
Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA
- let’s get real
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Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA
An advocacy group for sustainable transport,
especially the impact of peak oil
• Run conferences eg Oil: Living with Less
• Prepare policies eg Alternative Fuels
• Issue newsletters
www.stcwa.org.au
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International Conference
NZ 2007
‘Transport – the next 50 years’
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International Conference
NZ 2007
‘Transport – the next 50 years’
Sustainability – whatever that is
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STC old definition of Sustainable Transport:
Canadian Centre for Sustainable Transportation: A sustainable transportation system is one that: • allows the basic access needs of individuals and societies to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and with equity within and between generations. • is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode, and supports a vibrant economy. • limits emissions and waste within the planet's ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise.
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STC old definition of Sustainable Transport:
Canadian Centre for Sustainable Transportation: A sustainable transportation system is one that: • allows the basic access needs of individuals and societies to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and with equity within and between generations. • is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode, and supports a vibrant economy. • limits emissions and waste within the planet's ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise.
Too long to remember, difficult to interpret
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Sustainable Transport Consultant
What is ‘sustainable transport’?
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Sustainable Transport Consultant
What is ‘sustainable transport’?
It is walking and cycling
No other modes are truly sustainable
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Sustainable Transport Consultant
What is ‘sustainable transport’?
It is walking and cycling
No other modes are truly sustainable
Get real - we need to know more
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Two parts
1.Getting real
2.Why other systems don’t quite make it
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1. Getting real
What is sustainability
in day to day use ?
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Get real
Most of our actions are not truly sustainable
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To get real
We need:-
a) Definition - simple, memorable
b) Process - to get as close as possible
c) Measure – of how close
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To get real
We need:-
a) Definition - simple, memorable
b) Process - to get as close as possible
c) Measure – of how close
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a) Definition
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STC3
Definition of sustainability is the social, environmental and economic impacts of an action are all positive; now and for the next seven generations
3 Sustainable Transport Coalition of WA, 2009
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Principle is first do no harm
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Mind map:-
social
environment
economic
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social
environment
economic
the ecosystem of planet earth, upon which all life is dependant
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social
environment
economic
the ecosystem of planet earth, upon which all life is dependant
humankind, one of 1.7 million species on planet earth
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social
environment
economic
the ecosystem of planet earth, upon which all life is dependant
humankind, one of 1.7 million species on planet earth
a social outcome, to be seen in context and not seen as the sole goal, or even the paramount goal
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Economic
Typical economic impacts:-• Benefit Cost Ratios • Tourism• Resource development• Local business• Agriculture
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Social
Typical social impacts:-• Community access• Displacement of people• Heritage• Vibration• Noise• Traffic crashes• Personal security• Visual quality• Dangerous goods
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Environmental
Impacts on the natural bio-physical environment ‘Social’ and ‘economic’ cover impacts on humans
Typical environmental impacts:-• Air pollution• Water pollution• Flora/fauna• Wetlands• Soil loss
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b) Process
With community involvement:-
Review: see if objectives can be met another wayeg TDM rather than road construction
Modify to avoid negative impacts
eg divert the road around the houses
Remediation is added eg build a noise wall
Offsets are developed
eg provide equivalent vegetation elsewhere
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All impacts are assessed after modifications, remediations and offsets have been included
Principal – do no net harm
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c) Measure
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Our definition that the social, environmental and economic impacts of an action are all positive; now and for the next seven generations is aspirational
A cliché?
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Or a goal?
We need to define ‘true sustainability’ otherwise we won’t recognise our goal
But ‘true sustainability’ remains a cliché unless we get real by using ….
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Five star rating
to
(total)RATING
or lessGrossly unsustainable
to
Very unsustainable
to
Moderately unsustainable
Nearly sustainable
Sustainable
AlternativeLongevityEnviron-mental
SocialEconomic
total 4 to almost 5 stars
total 2 to almost 4 stars
total 1 to almost 2 stars
total less than 1 star
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Five star rating
to
(total)RATING
or lessGrossly unsustainable
to
Very unsustainable
to
Moderately unsustainable
Nearly sustainable
Sustainable
AlternativeLongevityEnviron-mental
SocialEconomic
total 4 to almost 5 stars
total 2 to almost 4 stars
total 1 to almost 2 stars
total less than 1 starTow
ards
sus
tain
abili
ty
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Five headings
Environmental
Social
Economic
fairly standard
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Longevity
Iroquois Indians kept in mind the needs of the seventh generation to come
Seven generations: say 140 years
Long time frame necessary, many actions have impacts for decades
Assessed by asking ‘Is the action economically, socially, and environmentally benign for the next 140 or so years?’
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Alternative
Assessed by asking ‘Is there an alternative that is better economically, socially, and/or environmentally that could reasonably be used?’
Theoretically not needed: added as a practical consideration
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Examples
Walk, short and not carrying load - 5 star - sustainable
Cycling, short to medium and not carrying load - 5 star - sustainable
Public transport, inner area, in peak – say 4 star - nearly sustainable
Public transport, inner area, off peak – say 2 star - moderately unsustainable
Public transport, outer area, off peak – say 11/2 star - very
unsustainable
4WD urban trip, driver only – less than 1 star - grossly unsustainable
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2. Why other systems
don’t quite make it
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What other systems?
Google results:
32,000,000 for ‘sustainability’
237,000 for ‘definition of sustainability’
Some of the main ones …
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Brundtland Commission1
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
¹ United Nations,1983
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Brundtland CommissionSustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
MemorableGreat philosophyDay to day meaning?
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Brundtland mind map
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State Sustainability Strategy2
Sustainability is meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity
With a similar mind map
2 WA, 2003
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State Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability is meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity
Integration?
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11 principles
6 visions
6 goals
Complex
Difficult to remember
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The STC mind map is:-
social
environment
economic
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arguably clearer than:-
sustainability
eco
nomic
social
environment
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or:-
sustainability
eco
nomic
social
environment
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social environment
economic
And much better than:-
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environmentsocial economic
or:-
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Wikipedia
Bruntland definition is frequently quoted, but …
• economy is a subsystem of human society, which is a subsystem of all life on Earth
• no subsystem can expand beyond the capacity of the total system
Then refers to a concentric circle diagram similar to the STC’s
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability at July 2009
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Engineers Australia
Sustainable development requires balanced improvement across economic, social and environmental objectives in an integrated short term and long term decision making process
SUSTAINABILITY CHARTER
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Engineers Australia
Sustainable development requires balanced improvement across economic, social and environmental objectives in an integrated short term and long term decision making process
Balanced and integrated?No mind map
SUSTAINABILITY CHARTER
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Opportunity to improve
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MRWA
Main Roads’ Sustainability Policy4 is that:“Main Roads is committed to creating lasting benefits through an integrated consideration of social, environmental and economic aspects in all that we do”
4 September 2006
integrated?
No mind map
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Main Roads’ Policy includes the principle:“decision making integrates economic, social and environmental aspects and seeks to achieve positive outcomes in each”
integrates?If you cannot get positive outcomes?
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Australian Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Scheme
Seven catagories:• project management and governance
• economic performance
• using resources
• emissions/pollution/waste
• biodiversity
• people and place
• workforce
Complex
Not memorable
(by Australian Green Infrastructure Council)
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Green Building Council of Australia
Green Star
Nine categories, with weightings
Certifies buildings as 4, 5, or 6 star
Does not define what is truly sustainable
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Urban Development Institute of Australia
EnviroDevelopment
Uses six elements:• water
• energy
• ecosystems
• community
• materials
• waste
Certification in one element is significant
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Certification in a number of elements is truly outstanding sustainable development
Does not explain how missing one or more elements allows development to be considered truly sustainable
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COAG
House of Representatives, Inquiry into a sustainability charter, 2007
Recognises that Brundtland definition does not identify the necessity for a sustainable environment, just society and healthy economy
Refers to ESD as using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased
Quality of life?
Council of Australian Governments
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Relation between environment, society and the economy is underlying principle of sustainability
Rather than saying each is equal they …
… prefer the concentric circle model¹
similar to STC’s
¹ submitted by Water Corporation of WA
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UK engineers
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memorable?
fairly complex
no mind map
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Agenda 21
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Very complex
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WalesUK
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The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations
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The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations
Basic needs?
Quality of life?
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UK Civil
Engineers
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12 sections
weighted
applied by trained assessors
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72Complex, and CEEQUAL only assesses part
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UK DH
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Other systems consideredAustralia1. Factor of Ten2. University of Adelaide Embedding Sustainability in Civil and Environmental
Engineering Courses
Europe1. UK, The Crown Estate: Coastal and Marine2. UK, BREEAM, for buildings3. International Federation of Consulting Engineers4. Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe5. World Business Council for Sustainable Development6. International Institute for Sustainable Development7. Arup, SPeAR – Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine
US1. EPA – What is Sustainability?2. Harvard, Leading Green, blog3. Green Building Council – LEED4. Alachua County Energy Conservation Strategies Commission
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The STC mind map of sustainability
social
environment
economic
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Can you remember this?
social
environment
economic
All positive: now and for seven generations
Otherwise use star ratings towards sustainability
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Questions?
Need for an improved EA definition?
www.stcwa.org.au
david-rice@msn.com.au