Sustainable Infrastructure: Principles into Practice

Contents Foreword ix
About this book xi
Acknowledgements xv
Part 1: Principles 1
1 Why sustainability? 3
1.1 Sustainable infrastructure: new challenges 3
1.2 Characteristics of infrastructure 3
1.3 Understanding sustainable development 6
1.4 Infrastructure for sustainable development 10
1.5 What can engineers do? – Be a key part of
the solution 14
1.6 Asking the right question at the right time 16
1.7 Dealing with complexity, long timescales
and future uncertainty – a mindset change 18
1.8 Am I acting sustainably? 21
References 23
Further reading 25
2 Key principles 27
2.1 The role of principles 27
2.2 A structure for sustainability principles
relevant to infrastructure 28
2.3 Principle A1: Environmental sustainability
within limits 33
2.4 Principle A2: Socio-economic sustainability
‘development’ 44
2.5 Principle A3: Intergenerational stewardship 57
2.6 Principle A4: Complex systems 59
2.7 Individual principles – for action for
sustainability 66
References 69
Further reading 73
Part 11: Practice 75
3 Business strategy 77
3.1 What this stage involves 77
3.2 Sustainability into strategy – and what can
engineers do? 78
3.3 Set sustainability objectives and targets, and
choose boundaries 79
3.4 Plan strategically for sustainability – timescale
and uncertainty 83
3.5 Choose the business model – sell the ‘service’
rather than the ‘product’ 87
3.6 Join up thinking – to implement strategy 88
References 90
4 Project scoping 93
4.1 What this stage involves 93
4.2 Sustainability in project scoping – and what
can engineers do? 93
4.3 Ensure asset planning is anchored in
strategic sustainability objectives 95
4.4 Include projects across the interfaces, and
take opportunities 97
4.5 Structure your project scope sustainability 100
4.6 Ensure that project scope defines required
performance, not a pre-judged solution 104
References 105
5 Stakeholder engagement 107
5.1 What this stage involves 107
5.2 Sustainability in stakeholder engagement –
and what can engineers do? 108
5.3 Give local communities roles in projects 109
5.4 Choose community representatives, and
methods of engagement 112
5.5 Work effectively for sustainability, with
regulators 116
References 119
6 Procurement 121
6.1 What this stage involves 121
6.2 Sustainability in procurement – and what
can engineers do? 122
6.3 Use procurement strategy to provide extra
socio-economic benefits 124
6.4 Use modern collaborative working
relationships , enabled by the contract 128
6.5 Integrate it all within a procurement
strategy – for development 132
References 137
7 Outline design 141
7.1 What this stage involves 141
7.2 Sustainability in outline design – and what
can engineers do? 142
7.3 Review the scope, and widen the range of
options 145
7.4 Ensure that promising options are not
eliminated during early evaluation 148
7.5 Include sustainability-related choice criteria;
take care in evaluation 150
7.6 Use decision-making processes that reflect
sustainability principles 155
References 162
8 Detailed design 165
8.1 What this stage involves 165
8.2 Sustainability in detailed design – and what
can engineers do? 166
8.3 Keep sustainability metrics and climate
change in mind 167
8.4 Challenge traditional approaches and design
standards 169
8.5 Explore design life and reuse options, and
off-site’ implications 171
8.6 Combine components ‘functions, for more
sustainable systems 175
8.7 Choose more sustainable materials 179
8.8 Keep biodiversity and wildlife in mind in
detailed design landscaping 180
References 181
9 Construction 185
9.1 What this stage involves 185
9.2 Sustainability in construction – and what
can engineers do? 185
9.3 Manage risks to time, quality, sustainability
and costs as a single team 187
9.4 Purchase all materials and operating
equipment on a whole-life-cost basis 188
9.5 Source materials and inputs sustainably 190
9.6 Proactively reduce construction energy
CO2e and waste 191
References 197
10 In-use to end of life 201
10.1 What this stage involves 201
10.2 Sustainability in operation and use – and
what can engineers do? 202
10.3 Hand assets over effectively from construction
include efficiency trials and training 204
10.4 Incentivize O&M teams, and user behaviour,
for sustainable performance 205
10.5 Keep social needs in mind, for users and
operators 208
10.6 Add environmental performance and
resilience into effective maintenance 210
10.7 Decommissioning at end of life 214
References 217
Part 111: Change 219
11 Understanding your arena for change 221
11.1 Inventing the future – who, me? 221
11.2 The context for innovation 224
11.3 The types and ‘shapes’ of change 226
11.4 Effective change actions 231
References 242
Further reading 244
12 Individual action for change 245
12.1 Motivation and creativity 245
12.2 Roles and influence 246
12.3 Influencing power 248
12.4 Looking after yourself 252
12.5 Tools for effectiveness 253
12.6 Summary – ‘facilitating the emergence of
change’ 258
References 259
Further reading 260
Part IV: Tools 261
13 Tools for sustainability practice 263
13.1 Environmental impact assessments and
strategic environmental assessment 264
13.2 Life-cycle assessment 269
13.3 Carbon footprinting 271
13.4 Environmental management systems 276
13.5 Building rating systems and civil engineering
awards schemes 279
13.6 Ecosystems services and green infrastructure
valuation 285
13.7 Whole-life cost accounting 295
13.8 Corporate social responsibility and
sustainability reporting 302
13.9 Backcasting, forecasting and scenario
planning 305
13.10 Multi-criteria decision-making 310
13.11 System dynamics 313
References 320
14 End Words 327
References 327
Appendix A Summaries of common sustainability principles 329
References 343
Index 347