Sustainable Engineering
Annual Conference
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In 2015 New Zealand committed to a reduction in carbon footprint in agreement with the Kyoto accord requiring a reduction in Net carbon of footprint of around 30MtCO2-e/yr from 2014, by 2030. (Ministry for the Environment, 2016).
To become sustainable, an organization must have leadership, a culture of sustainable thinking, metrics and governance to measure progress, innovation and standards, to continuously improve and apply consistently, with engagement of supply chain. (HM Treasury 2013)
Sustainable Engineering consists of applying a hierarchy to avoid, reduce, reuse/alternative materials, and recycle focused on carbon reduction. A culture of challenge and understanding risk will assist in decision making. However, informed decisions only come from estimating and recording carbon footprint at baseline and through a project.
Sustainable Best practice organisations have achieved 39% reduction in embedded carbon, 34% reduction in operational carbon and an associated 22% reduction in capital costs. (HM Treasury, 2014). To lead a change in thinking and leadership to think carbon, will not only benefit infrastructure, but also influence the culture of the community. Application of these principals in New Zealand will not only reduce the carbon footprint but also result in a reduction in materials and energy requirements so, lowering the cost of infrastructure