Sustainable Engineering

Module 1 Part 3
S3 ECE
Nexus between Technology and
sustainable development
 Technological innovation is a ‘double-edged sword’
 Technology improves quality of life, eliminate diseases, and
increase life expectancy
 On the other hand, technology creates irreparable environmental
damages due to resource extraction and pollution of air, water and
soil
 Technological changes would be necessary to counteract the
environmental damage caused by increases in production and
consumption
 The power of technology should drive the development of the
human society

Sustainable Engineering , S3 ECE, RSET

Nexus between Technology and
sustainable development
 Technology should
 Improve education standards
 Should enable long-term perception and data analysis
 provide alternatives if a resource is getting depleted
 provide alternative production processes, process inputs and
products so that they cause less or no harm to the environment
 enable us to develop ways to use and reuse resources in the
most efficient manner and minimize waste
 enable us to neutralize/reduce the toxicity of waste through
proper treatment
 help us make processes more energy-efficient

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Nexus between Technology and
sustainable development
 Technological applications towards sustainability in various
sectors
 Sustainable agriculture
 Mixed farming
 Integrated pest management
 Sustainable energy
 Renewable energy sources
 Energy efficient systems
 Environmental applications
 Plastic recycling

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What can we do towards sustainability
as an engineer?

Sustainable Engineering , S3 ECE, RSET

What can we do towards sustainability
as an engineer?

 Can it be made of reusable materials?

 How much energy will it use?

 Can it be powered by solar cells?

 Will it be able to be recycled at the end of its useful life?

 Will it have parts that contain toxic metals that must be

disposed of?
Multilateral environmental agreements
and protocols
 Most of the environmental problems are transboundary in nature and
has a global scope
 International cooperation is necessary in addressing such problems
effectively
 Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA)
 International agreements between three or more countries mostly
initiated by United Nations on how to jointly address the
environmental problems of cross border nature
 Key features
 Specific aim to address one or several clearly defined environmental
problems with often secondary objectives on development
 Governed by international law
 Eg: Kyoto protocol, Montreal protocol, Agenda 21
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Scope of MEAs
 Core MEAs are divided into five categories

1. Biodiversity

2. Land

3. Marine environment

4. Atmosphere

5. Chemical and Hazardous

waste

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Scope of MEAs
1. Biodiversity
 Protection of biodiversity is relevant for pollution
management and efficient use of resources
 ‘Cleaner Production’ is the strategy for minimising
pollution
 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) -1992
2. Land
 Every year large portion of productive land is turned
into deserts globally due to poor use of land and
over exploitation of the land
 UN Convention on Combating Desertification
(UNCCD) focus on use and protection of land
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Scope of MEAs
3. Marine environment

 17 regional sea conventions and action plans :

 multi-sectoral agreements incorporating the

precautionary principle and high-priority aim to prevent
and eliminate pollution of a respective sea

 Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine

Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) :

 Conceptual and practical guidance for protection of

marine environment from land-based sources of pollution
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Scope of MEAs
4. Atmosphere
 Vienna Convention (1985) : Protection of the ozone layer
 Montreal protocol (1987) :
 Phasing out the production of substances that deplete the ozone
layer, mainly CFCs
 Protocol targets reduction of 96 chemicals
 Eg: 100% reduction of CFCs by 1996 for developed countries and
by 2010 for developing countries
 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1994)
 Climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be
affected by global warming
 Made an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to
tackle the challenges posed by climate change

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Scope of MEAs
 Kyoto protocol (1997):
 Important agreement between many countries to work for
lessening global warming
 To reduce the greenhouse gases (GHG)
 First addition to UNFCCC
 Targets apply to CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
and perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
 192 countries
 Annex 1 countries : Developed countries
 Emissions reduction commitments (greenhouse gas emission
caps) are set for each annex-1 country
 Non Annex 1 countries : Developing countries
 Does not have emission caps
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Scope of MEAs: Kyoto protocol (1997):
 Three flexible mechanisms
 International emission trading (IET)
 Joint Implementation (JI) Project-based
 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) mechanisms

 International emission trading (IET)

 Allows countries that have emission units to spare - emissions
permitted them but not "used" - to sell this excess capacity to
countries that are over their targets.
 Economic value on green house emissions
 Joint Implementation (JI)
 Any Annex I country can invest in a project to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in any other Annex I country (referred to as a "Joint
Implementation Project") as an alternative to reducing emissions
domestically

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Scope of MEAs
 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
 Allows annex-1 countries to fund greenhouse gas emissions-
reducing projects in non-annex 1 countries and claim the saved
emissions as part of their own efforts to meet international
emissions targets
 Main objectives are:
 To take effective steps in taking preventive measures against climate
change
 To assist non-Annex I countries achieve sustainable development and
reduce their GHG emissions
 To assist Annex I countries in achieving compliance with their
emission caps
 CDM executive board under UNFCCC supervises CDM projects

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Scope of MEAs
 CDM projects generate Certified Emission Reductions
(CER) units
 One CER is equivalent to one tonne of CO2 or its
equivalent GHG per year
 CDM executive board certifies CDM projects with CER
units
 India signed Kyoto Protocol in 2002
 India is a Non - annex 1 country
 No strict emission caps
 Can participate in CDM projects
 around 20% of the CDM projects
 National Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
Authority
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Scope of MEAs
5. Chemical and Hazardous waste
 Basel Convention (1992)
 Control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their
disposal
 Rotterdam Convention (1998)
 Prior informed consent for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in
international trades
 Stockholm Convention (2001)
 Elimination or restriction of production and use of all intentionally
produced Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (some organic industrial
chemicals and pesticides)
 Organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation and
adversely affect human health and the environment around the world
 Minamata convention on Mercury (2013)
 to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic
emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. Sustainable Engineering , S3 ECE, RSET
Environmental Legislations in India
❑ The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
❑ The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
❑ The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
❑ The wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
❑ The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
 The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
 Enacted to implement decisions of the 1972 Stockholm conference
 Central and State pollution control boards constituted to
 plan and execute programs for prevention, control and abatement of air
pollution
 lay down standards for air quality
 Stipulates that industrial units should not be established or
operated without the consent of the Pollution Control Board
 Has provision for ensuring automobile emission standards

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Environmental Legislations in India
 The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
 Enacted to implement decisions of the 1972 Stockholm conference
 Constituted Central and State pollution control boards
 planning, coordination and execution of programs for
prevention, control and abatement of water pollution
 laying down standards for water quality
 lay down standards for effluents and their treatment
 inspection of sewage and trade effluents
 inspection of effluent treatment plants
 The Act prohibits
 causing or permitting entry into soil or water bodies
 any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter
 any matter that may impede the flow of water in a stream
 establishment of any industry/trade that is likely to discharge
pollutants into water bodies
Environmental Legislations in India
 The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
 Enacted after the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 to implement decisions of the 1972
Stockholm conference
 Empowers the central government to
 make rules to regulate environment pollution
 lay down limits for pollutants in air, water and land
 restrict/prohibit handling of hazardous materials
 carry out inspection of manufacturing processes and materials used to
assess their potential environmental hazard
 set up environmental laboratories
 sponsor research in the area of environmental protection
 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for developmental projects to get
clearance from government before their establishment
 E-Waste (Management) Rules 2016, as amended in 2018 (E-Waste Rules);
 Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016;
 Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016;
 Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016;
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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