Sustainability & Resiliency

Transcription

1 September 27, 2012 TACA Sustainability & Resiliency

2 Sustainability Definition sus tain a bil i ty: noun 1. The ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed 2. The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance

3 Raw Material Sustainability By 2050, humanity could consume an estimated 140 billion tons of minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass per year (three times its current amount) Developed countries' citizens consume an average of 16 tons of those four key resources per capita, ranging up to 40 or more tons per person in some developed countries

4 Water Sustainability Currently upwards of 35% of human water use is unsustainable, drawing on diminishing aquifers and reducing the flows of major rivers From 1961 to 2001 water demand doubled - agricultural use increased by 75%, industrial use by more than 200%, and domestic use more than 400% In the 1990s it was estimated that humans were using 40 50% of the globally available freshwater in the approximate proportion of 70% for agriculture, 22% for industry, and 8% for domestic purposes

5 Triple Bottom Line The three pillars - or the "triple bottom line"- have served as a common ground for numerous sustainability standards and certification systems in recent years, in particular in the food industry Social Bearable Equitable Sustainable Environment Economic Viable

6 Dimensional Constraints A new way of viewing the relationship between the three pillars of sustainability suggesting that both economy and society are constrained by environmental limits Economic Social Environment

7 Economic Dimension Human sustainability interfaces with economics through the voluntary trade consequences of economic activity Several key areas have been targeted for economic analysis and reform: 1. The environmental effects of unconstrained economic growth 2. The consequences of nature being treated as an economic externality 3. The possibility of an economics that takes greater account of the social and environmental consequences of market behavior

8 Economic Dimension Sustainability studies analyze ways to reduce the amount of resources needed for the production, consumption and disposal of a unit of good or service Examples of resources include water, energy, or raw materials This can be achieved through improved economic management, product design, or new technology

9 Economic Dimension The term decoupling is becoming increasingly used in the context of economic production and environmental quality When used in this way, it refers to the ability of an economy to grow without incurring corresponding increases in environmental pressure

10 Social Dimension Moving towards sustainability while keeping the quality of life high is a social challenge that entails: International and national law Urban planning and transport Local and individual lifestyles Ethical consumerism

11 Social Dimension Other approaches, loosely based around new urbanism, are successfully reducing environmental impacts by altering the built environment to create and preserve sustainable cities which support sustainable transport Residents in compact urban neighborhoods drive fewer miles, and have significantly lower environmental impacts across a range of measures, compared with those living in sprawling suburbs The concept of circular flow land use management has also been introduced in Europe to promote sustainable land use patterns that strive for compact cities and a reduction of greenfield land taken by urban sprawl

12 Environmental Dimension Three broad criteria for ecological sustainability: 1. Renewable resources should provide a sustainable yield (the rate of harvest should not exceed the rate of regeneration) 2. Non-renewable resources should have equivalent development of renewable substitutes 3. Waste generation should not exceed the assimilative capacity of the environment

13 Environmental Dimension Sustainable use of materials has targeted the idea of dematerialization Converting the linear path of materials (extraction, use, disposal in landfill) to a circular material flow that reuses materials as much as possible Most Desirable Prevention Minimization Reuse Recycling Least Desirable Energy Recovery Disposal

14 Cement Industry 30,000,000 22,500,000 15,000,000 7,500,000 Texas Cement Requirements At projected growth rates, the cement usage is not sustainable in the near future. Aggregate usage faces a similar outcome Consumption Production

15 Sustainable Development Sustainable development is aimed at meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Enter Resiliency

16 Resiliency re sil ience: noun 1. The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity. 2. The ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.

17 Sustainability vs Resiliency Sustainability is an industry issue Focused has shifted past this issue, but it is still there Resiliency is a product issue Most of the current focus is on resiliency Product specifications are being designed and dictated to achieve product resiliency and will have an impact on our industry

18 Today's Focus US Green Building Council LEED PCR, EPD, LCCA Sustainability within the markets National Association Overview Current Job Specifications Owner s Perspective