Institute for Sustainability Grassroots Project: Defining Sustainability

1
Institute for Sustainability Grassroots Project
Defining Sustainability

• By
• Earl Beaver, Chair Ifs
• August 28, 2005

2
Process

• November 2004 Institute for Sustainability
  Conclave, Austin TX Chaired by Earl Beaver, Ifs
  Chair
• Price Water House Coopers Sustainability in
  the Chemical IndustrySurvey conclusion
  Sustainability is here to stay.
• Announce project to define sustainability (AIChE
  BOD mandate)
• Virtual meeting December 2004 (35 participants)
• Email dialogs to identify stakeholders for panel
  discussion
• April 2005 Panel Discussion, EFS Topical
  Sustainability and Green Engineering Coming of
  Age, Atlanta GA Chaired by Earl Beaver.
• Industry Sectors Chemical Pharma Energy
  Manufacturing
• AcademiaChemical Eng Chemistry Civil
  Engineering Mechanical Engineering
• Government NSF EPA, NIST
• NGOs WRI SustainUS
• Job functions EHS RD (invent/discover,
  measure, define, design, commercialize) Safety
  Process Development Environmental Consultants,
  Life-cycle consultants Oil Production.
• Backgrounds MBAs Chem. Es Mech. EsBAs.
  biologists chemistry
• May to July 05 Refinement and review.

3
Definition

• Sustainability is a path of continuous
  improvement, wherein the products and services
  required by society are delivered with
  progressively less negative impact upon the Earth

Defined by AIChE Institute for Sustainability
November 04-July 05 Grassroots Project, Earl
Beaver, Chair IFS
4
Observations Sectors and Job Functions

• Definitions specific to job functions are useful
  during initial stages of concept adoption.
• There are lots of definitions, but the key is to
  settle on some principles and ACT.

5
Recommendations (1)

• Considering changing name of HSE (EHS) to
  Sustainability Group in companies.
• Use the San Destin Green Engineering Principles
  to promote sustainability.
• Must educate all employees in companies on
  relevance of sustainability to corporate mission
  and individual job responsibilities.

6
Recommendations (2)

• Definitions are needed for business functions.
• Need to ID common elements of defn.
• Definition should apply to help individuals
  practice sustainability in daily lives
• Acceptance of sustainability and sustainability
  practice is part of ethical behavior and
  professionalism of scientists, engineers, and
  business leaders.

7
Ghandi Seven Social Sins

• Politics without Principle
• Wealth without Work
• Commerce without Morality
• Science without Humanity
• Pleasure without Conscience
• Education without Character
• Worship without Sacrifice

8
Reality Eight Social Sins (per Earl Beaver)

• Politics without Principle
• Wealth without Work
• Commerce without Morality
• Science without Humanity
• Pleasure without Conscience
• Education without Character
• Worship without Sacrifice
• Development without Sustainability