sustainable development: becoming part of the solutionceae.colorado.edu/~amadei/cven4700/pdf/part of...

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Sustainable Development: Becoming Part of the Solution

Bill WallaceWallace Futures Group, LLCSteamboat Springs, Colorado

© William A. Wallace, Wallace Futures Group, LLC

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Wallace Bio

• 21 years at CH2M HILL in various senior positions– Various new business initiatives: hazardous waste management,

sustainable development, Olympic cities– Liaison Delegate to the World Business Council for Sustainable

Development • Futurist consultancy

– Wallace Futures Group, LLC, Steamboat Springs, Colorado• Author: Becoming Part of the Solution: The Engineer’s Guide

to Sustainable Development• Chair of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers

(FIDIC) Sustainable Development Task Force– 9/04: Published Project Sustainability Management Guidelines

• Vice Chair of Engineers Without Borders–USA• Vice Chair of ACEC Environmental Business Committee• Working with VentureQuest Ltd.

– Helping companies extract value from their ideas and innovations

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Summary

• What is sustainable development?– Chapters 1 & 2, Origins, concepts, principles

• What are its impacts on society? On engineering?– Chapter 3, Drivers pushing organizations to become

more sustainable• How can you deliver a sustainable project?

– Introduction to Chapter 6 (time permitting)

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What is Sustainable Development? Definition and originsWhy should you be concerned?

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Sustainable Development: Definitions

• What is growth?– The process of becoming larger

• What is development?– Economic, social and environmental development that

meets the needs of communities and improves their quality of life

• What is sustainable development?– “…development that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

– UN Brundtland Commission Report: 1987

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Millennium Ecosystem Assessment:Conceptual Framework

Strategies and interventions

GlobalRegional

Local

Human Well-Being

Direct Drivers of Change

Indirect Drivers of Change

Resource consumption, Climate change, Technology adaptation/use, Land use, External inputs

Demographics, economics, sociopolitical, science and technology, cultural

Eco-system Services

Short Term Short Term

Long Term

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Problems Are Starting to Emerge

Issue GlobalRegionalLocal

Population growth, displacement

Growth of mega-cities

Major demographic shifts

across the U.S.

Traffic congestion, urban sprawl

Water resources, sanitation

1 in 5 lack safe water; 2 in 5 lack basic sanitation

Droughts, depletion of major

aquifers

Periodic water shortages, droughts

Non-point source pollution

Ubiquitous spread of POPs* across

the globe

Mercury contamination of

fish

Dead zones in the oceans

EnergyDwindling oil

supplies. Instability in the oil-producing

nations

Increasing use of energy by the

developing nations

Huge price fluctuations in

gasoline, natural gas, fuel oil

Globalization Spread of disease, terrorism

Loss of cultural identityOff-shoring of jobs

*persistent organic pollutants

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Drought in the Western States

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Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico

5,800 square miles in 2004

Source: NOAA's National Ocean Service, http://www.nos.noaa.gov/products/pubs_hypox.html

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Urban Sprawl

• Traffic congestion• Longer commutes• Worsening air and water

pollution• Loss of farmland, open

fields, forests and wetlands

• Increased flooding• Higher taxes

Most Sprawl-Threatened Cities

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“Globalization 3.0”

• Increasing off-shoring of jobs

• Can break down most any service job into functions

• Outsource those functions anywhere in the world

• Best skills at lowest price

• Can be applied to highly technical activities

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Rise of Mega-cities

• Confluence of two trends:– Rapid population growth

• Particularly in the 3rd World – Rapid urbanization

• Deteriorating rural conditions• Better opportunities in cities

• By 2030, over 60% of the population will live in cities– Municipal services for urban poor are negligible or

non-existent

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Mega-cities 2000

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Mega-cities 2015

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Mega-city Problems

• Acute water shortages– Rapid increase in

demand– Insufficient income to

fund resource development

• Lack of sanitation– Rapid increase in volume

of waste– Negligible amount is

treated– Result: poor public

health, high death rates• Exposure to natural hazards

and disasters• Loss of cultural identity

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PAGE Eco-System Assessment

?

?

Food/Fiber Production

Water Quality

Water Quantity

Biodiversity

Carbon Storage

Recreation

Shoreline Protection

Wood Fuel Production

AgroGrass-lands

Fresh waterForestCoast

?

Increasing

Mixed

Decreasing

Unknown

Not assessed

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Bad

Source: World Resources 2000-2001: People and Ecosystems: The fraying web of life. UNDP, UNEP World Resources Institute.

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Why Is This Happening?

• Human population had little impact up until the mid-20th century– Human population wasn’t large enough– Technologies not strong enough– Effects were localized, short-lived– Cold war focus– Technological advances always “saved the day”

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World Population Growth Through History

Billions

A.D.2000

A.D.1000

A.D.1

1000B.C.

2000B.C.

3000B.C.

4000B.C.

5000B.C.

6000B.C.

7000B.C.

1+ million years

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7

6

5

2

1

4

3

OldStoneAge New Stone Age

BronzeAge

IronAge

MiddleAges

ModernAge

Black Death —The Plague

9

10

11

12

A.D.3000

A.D.4000

A.D.5000

18001900

1950

1975

2000

2100

Future

Source: Population Reference Bureau; and United Nations, World Population Projections to 2100 (1998).

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0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Population, Billions

Less Developed Countries

More Developed Countries

Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision (medium scenario), 2003.

Population Growth Projections

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Ecological Footprint

Ref: Mathis Wackernagel, et. al., “Tracking the ecological overshoot of the human economy,” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Jul 9;99(14):9266-71

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What is Sustainable Development?Quantitative (mass balance) definitionEnvironmental, economic and social

conditions for sustainabilityBoundary conditions

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Production-consumption ModelSocial Structure

Infrastructure (Built Environment)

Resource Extraction, Harvesting

Process, Modify

Resources

Convey, Transport Consume Discard

Resource Recovery

Harvesting

Extraction

Minerals, Metals, Fuels Resources (Non-Renewable)

Ecological Resources (Renewable)

Discarded Materials, Wastes

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Renewable Resources: A Closer Look

Ecosystem damage

Carrying Capacity

Improvements in production efficiency

Not economically retrievable

Reclamation

Improvements in harvesting effectiveness

Regeneration


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Non-renewable Resources: A Closer Look

Not economically retrievable

Improvements in extraction

effectivenessImprovements in

production efficiency

Recycling

Minerals, Metals, Fuels Resources (Non-Renewable)

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Technical Conditions for Sustainability

• Renewable resources (ecological)

Use < Regeneration

Non-renewable resources (minerals, fuels)

Use < Development of renewable substitutes

Pollution emissionsEmissions < Carrying capacity of the environment

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Societal Conditions For Sustainability

• Fair and efficient use of resources to meet human needs

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Boundary Conditions

• Strong economy in business in order to finance the necessary changes

• Changes cannot diminish quality of life

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The Current Debate Over SustainabilityResource Constrained Resource Abundance


Impending resource shortages

Reaching carrying capacity

No real resource shortages

Little ecological

damage

Substantial ecological

damage

Carrying capacity not in jeopardy

Minerals, Metals, Fuels Resources (Non-Renewable)No real resource shortages

Technological adva ces will

continue to “save the day”

n

Impending Resource Shortages

Technology not capable of making additional needed

resources economically

available

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Sustainable Development: Impact on the Engineering BusinessCreating new roles and responsibilities

for engineersAlso a catalyst for innovation

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Sustainable Development: The Market Drivers

• Emergence of powerful new stakeholders– Stakeholder groups aware of non-sustainable behavior and its

consequences• Enabled by information technology

– Ability to access and disseminate information globally at very low cost

• Stakeholders can affect a company’s bottom line– Setting de facto standards for corporate environmental and

social performance• Drivers shifting from reputation to innovation

– Many organizations now see sustainability as a source of innovation

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Private Sector: Expansion of Industry Responsibilities

• Stakeholders give industry their license to operate

• Result: expansion of perceived responsibilities in two directions– Upstream and downstream in the supply chain– Beyond environmental compliance; into social

equity

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Expansion of Industry Responsibilities

Waste

Disposal

Industrial System

Materials Energy Production Transport Products, Services

Resources Production -- Distribution

Old Business Model

Charitable contributions

Supply Chain

Regulatory compliance

“The business of business is business.”

Eco

nom

icE

nvir

onm

enta

lSo

cial

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Expansion of Industry Responsibilities

Waste

Disposal

Industrial System

Materials Energy Production Transport Products, Services

Resources Production -- Distribution

Old Business Model

Eco

nom

icE

nvir

onm

enta

lSo

cial New Business Model

“Dematerialization”

Wood from sustainable forests

Fair labor practices

Recycling

Product take-back

Supply Chain

Eliminate toxic materials content

“Green” buildings & facilities

Energy from renewable sources

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Public and Private Sector Response

• Prerequisite for market entry

• Market diversification• Differentiation• Process

improvement• Ethical imperative• Cost savings

© Ford Rouge Design Team. Courtesy William McDonough + Partners.

© Ford Photographic. Courtesy William McDonough + Partners.

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Trends in the Public Sector: Improving the Quality of Life

• People are experiencing the consequences of non-sustainable development– Traffic congestion– Air, water pollution– Water shortages– Urban sprawl

• Result: People are seeking a better quality of life

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Quality of Life as a Basis of Competition

• Cities competing globally for jobs, economic growth– Consequence of globalization– Basis of competition: quality

of life• Result

– Need to develop sustainable (livable) communities

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Public Sector Response

• Sustainable cities initiatives• Green buildings

– Increasing popularity of LEED certification

• New forms of facilities procurement and construction– Life cycle cost vs. first cost

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Cities That Take Sustainability Seriously

Seattle

ScottsdaleSan JoseBoulder

Santa MonicaPortland

San Francisco

Tucson

AustinBoston

Olympia

Santa Barbara

PhoenixMilwaukee

Source: Kent E. Portney, Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously: Economic Development, the Environment, and Quality of Life in American Cities, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2004. p.23.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

Lowest HighestIncreasing Number of SD Program Elements

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Sustainable Development as a Catalyst for Innovation

• Eco-efficiency• Eco-effectiveness• Whole system thinking

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Eco-efficiency

• Reduce materials intensity of goods and services• Reduce energy intensity of goods and services• Reduce toxics dispersion• Enhance materials recyclability• Maximize sustainable use of resources• Extend product durability• Increase service intensity of goods and services

Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development

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Catalysts for Innovation

• Eco-effectiveness (Bill McDonough)– Cradle to cradle– Biological and technical nutrients

• Whole system thinking (Amory Lovins)– Look at the demand side of the problem– “Nega-watts”– Large pipes, small motors– Tunneling through the cost barrier

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Elements of Sustainable Development Principles Are Starting to Appear in Engineering Projects

• Sustainable design and construction• Context-sensitive design• LEED, SPiRiT certification• Construction recycling requirements• Performance-based contracting• Life-cycle costing• Sustainable development reporting• Renewable energy sourcing• Use of recycled materials in

construction• Brownfields redevelopment• Carbon-neutral construction• Global application of World 1

environmental standards• Daylighting• Geo-exchange heating and cooling• Bio-diversity in landscaping design

Ice storage for building cooling

Photo courtesy of the Poudre School District

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Sustainable Project Examples

• Poudre County Schools– Meets sustainability criteria and achieves lower costs:

constructed and O&M• Nike Corporation

– Bring global suppliers up to world class waste water treatment standards

• Suncor– GHG reduction evaluations and recommendations

• Burnaby Mountain– Planning and design of a sustainable community

• Cedar River water treatment facility– LEED silver rating on buildings

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Designing and Delivering a Sustainable Project

Setting project sustainability goals, indicators

Creating a high performance project team

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Designing and Delivering a Sustainable ProjectHow do you design and deliver a project that truly

and verifiably contributes to sustainability?

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What Makes an Engineering Project Sustainable?

• Sustainability is a journey– Requires an overhaul of the world’s infrastructure,

project by project• Requires new, more sustainable technologies

– Most of which have yet to be invented• Start by following the principles of eco-efficiency,

eco-effectiveness– Seek to “raise the bar” on sustainability performance– Employ new, more sustainable technologies

• Use less energy, less materials, more durable, etc.

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FIDIC Project Sustainability Management Guidelines

• Framework and process for setting project sustainability goals, measuring progress

• Core project sustainability indicators

• Case example

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FIDIC PSM Approach

• Start with the goals and indicators developed by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)– CSD translated Agenda 21 into a set of goals and

indicators to be used by decisionmakers• Convert those whole-society goals and

indicators to project-based goals and indicators– PSM Core Indicator Set

• Adapt PSM Core Indicators to the project

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Sustainable Development Project Objectives and Indicators

High

Varies based on new evidence, technological developments

Sustainability goal (ideal)

Advances through the application of best-in-class processes, systems and technologies

Current state-of-the-practice

Advances through innovation and risk taking with new processes, systems and technologies

Sustainable development goals and indicatorsExamples: water consumption per person, total GHG emissions, percent use of recycled materials.

Low

Apply conventional

Apply what is currently achievable

Set a new benchmark for sustainable performance

Achieve Compliance Varies based on laws, regulations

Range of project owner sustainable

development goals

Range of project owner implementation choices

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Sustainable Development Indicator Set

Category Environmental Economic Social

Themes

Sub-themes

Indicators

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PSM Core Indicators

Equity Poverty (3) SO-1: proportion of local workers, companies employed on the project, as compared to other workers, companies

SO-2: existence of hiring and wage policies related to minorities and women employees

SO-3: proportion of minorities, women hires

SO-4: wage comparison of minorities, women compared to standards

Health (6)

Sanitation SO-5: proportion of population with access to adequate sewage treatment

Health (6)

Drinking water SO-6: proporation of population with access to safe drinking water

Health (6)

Healthcare delivery

SO-7: proportion of population with access to primary health care facilities

Health (6)

Occupational safety and health

SO-8: record of safety performance during construction

Human rights

Child labor SO-9: record of the use of labor during project construction

Housing (7)

Living conditions

SO-10: proportion of persons living with adequate floor area per person.

Population (5)

Population change

SO-11: change in number and proportion of populations in formal and informal settlements affected by the project

Culture Cultural heritage

SO-12: assessment of impacts on local culture, historic buildings

Culture Involuntary resettlement

SO-13: degree to which the project displaces the local population

Integrity Bribery and corruption

SO-14: efforts to monitor and report bribery and corruption

Equity Gender equality (24)

EN-17: measurements of affect of project on the abundance of key species

SpeciesBiodiversity (15)

EN-16: proportion of area affected by the project that contains key ecosystems.

EcosystemBiodiversity (15)

EN-15: measurements of faecal coliform in freshwater bodies affected by project during all phases

Water qualityFresh water (18)

EN-14: measurements of bod on water bodies affected by project during all phases

Water qualityFresh water (18)

EN-13: measurements of water usage on project during all phases

Water quantityFresh water (18)

EN-12: changes in populations living in coastal areasCoastal zoneOceans, seas and coasts (!7)

EN-11: measurements of changes in algae concentrationsCoastal zoneOceans, seas and coasts (!7)

EN-10: extent to which land covered by project is affected by desertification.

Desertification (12)

Land (10)

EN-9: extent to which wood is used in all project phasesForests (11)Land (10)

EN-8: extent to which forests are used or affected in the development, design and delivery of the project

Forests (11)Land (10)

EN-7: quantities of pesticides used compared to normsAgriculture (14)Land (10)

EN-6: quantities of fertilizers used compared to normsAgriculture (14)Land (10)

EN-5: proportion of arable and permanent crop land affected by this project

Agriculture (14)Land (10)

EN-4: quantities of indoor air pollutantsIndoor air qualityAtmosphere (9)

EN-3: quantities of key air pollutants emitted in all phases of project.

Air quality Atmosphere (9)

EN-2: quantities of ozone-depleting substances used in all phases of project.

Ozone layer depletion

Atmosphere (9)

EN-1: quantities of ghgs emitted in all phases of project. Climate changeAtmosphere (9)

Environmental

EC-14: extent to which the facility requires care and maintenance,compared to norms

Care, east of maintenance and repair

Consumption and production patterns (4)

EC-13: extent to which durable materials were specified. Design for extended service life.

Durability (service life)


EC-12: measurements of transportation modes and distances people and materials in all project phases. Comparison to norms, otherpractices.

Transportation


EC-11: extent to which waste recycling and reuse is employed in all phases of the project, compared to norms, other practices

Waste generation and management (19-22)


EC-10: disposition of radioactive wastes compared to norms, other practices

EC-9: quantities of radioactive wastes generated compared to norms, other practices



EC-8: disposition of hazardous wastes compared to norms, other practices

EC-7: quantities of hazardous wastes generated compared to norms, other practices



EC-6: disposition of industrial and municipal wastes compared to norms, other practices

EC-5: quantities of industrial and municipal wastes generated compared to norms, other practices



EC-4: extent of the use of renewable energy resources compared to norms, other practices

Energy useConsumption and production patterns (4)

EC-3: extent of energy consumption compared to norms, other practicesEnergy useConsumption and production patterns (4)

EC-2: extent of use of materials compared to norms, other practicesMaterial consumption


EC-1: extent to which the project provides economic benefit to the local economy.

Economic performance

Economic structure (2)

SocialEconomic

PSM Process

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Scope of work

PSM Core Indicators

1 Establish sustainability goals and baseline project indicators 2 Adjust goals and project

indicators to local conditionsTest and refine project goals and indicators3

Sustainable achievements

of other projects

New, sustainable processes & technologies

First Cut:Project-specific goals and indicators based on whole society sustainable development goals

Second Cut:Project-specific goals and indicators, adjusted to local conditions

Final:Project-specific sustainable development goals and indicators

Incorporate safeguard

policy considerations

Incorporate Local Agenda 21, other local sustainable

development indicators

Establish project scope

and setting assumptions

Determine client vision, goals,

objectives

Identify and engage key

stakeholders

Test project indicator

functionality

Refine indicators to align with

applicable rules, regulations,

protocols

Refine goals based on systems

integration considerations

Stakeholder Engagement

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Delivering a Sustainable ProjectFive essential elements

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Essentials for Delivering a Sustainable Project

1. Work with a knowledgeable and committed project owner

2. Set high but achievable sustainable development goals and objectives

3. Create a high performance project team4. Keep team on track, focused on achieving goals5. Share knowledge and achievements

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Case Example

Sustainable School Design and Construction

Poudre School District, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Zach Elementary School in the City of Fort Collins, Colorado. The school was designed and built in accordance with sustainability principles. Photo courtesy of the Poudre School District

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Project Scope

• Located in the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, USA– 44 schools for 22,500

students• $175 million school bond issue• Additional resources

– $100,000 in funds and in-kind services

– Partnerships with the State of Colorado, U.S. Department of Energy, various universities

Historic Avery Building in Old Town Square in Fort Collins, Colorado. Source: City of Fort Collins.

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1. Work With a Knowledgeable and Committed Project Owner

• Owner is committed to achieving sustainable development goals and objectives

• Knowledgeable of design and construction processes

• Willing to share risks and rewards

Exterior wall made from recycled engine head gasket material

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2. Set high but achievable sustainable development goals and objectives

• The vision of the Superintendent of Schools: – “[W]e stand committed to sustainable design and are confident it

will yield positive outcomes for our students and the community.”• Be proper stewards of the bond funds slated for building

new or upgrading existing schools.• Achieve the anticipated cost savings and sustainable

performance in the school buildings.

“A school designed to ‘code’ is the worst facility you can legally build.”

Presentation by George Brelig and Michael Spearnak, Pathways to Creating Sustainable Schools

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Project Goals and Objectives

• Enhance student performance and attendance

• Teach principles of sustainable design

• Harmonize with the natural landscape

• Provide higher quality lighting• Consume less energy• Conserve materials and natural

resources• Enhance indoor environmental

quality, and• Safeguard water

Learning wall cutout

Recycling of construction wastes

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3. Create a High Performance Project Team

• Selected as a team– Committed to achieving sustainable development

goals• All team members are equal

– Master plumber = master environmental engineer• All team members are highly knowledgeable in their

particular fields• The team is fully integrated: works together to handle

system interactions– Willing and able to “step outside the box” in their

respective trades and disciplines– Application of critical chain methodology – theory

of constraints

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4. Keep Team On Track, Focused On Achieving Goals and Objectives

• Avoid excuses for falling short of the sustainable development goals and objectives– No whining!!– Achieving 80% is not good enough.– Cannot allow team members to blame others for failure

to achieve expected results• Commissioning is essential

– Contractors have limited experience with new technologies

– Start early in the project– Ensure design is followed, equipment is installed as

specified, system is tuned for optimum performance

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5. Share Knowledge and Achievements

• Disseminate results to others– Exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas– Set “best in class” performance– Demonstrate success in “raising the bar”– Advance the state of the practice

• Information on technology performance exists, e.g., EnergyStar– Project owners use them

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Achievements: Materials

Sustainable site planning and design: Use green materials where possible Target: Meet LEED standards in the use of green materials

High

Sustainability

Low

Conventional

Best in class

New benchmarks

Using certified wood products in construction

Compliance

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Achievements: Energy Supply

Use of renewable energy sourcesTarget: Substantial percentage of energy supplied by renewables

High

Sustainability

Low

Conventional

Best in class

New benchmarks100% supplied by wind energy

Compliance

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Achievements: Lighting

High Quality and energy-efficient lightingTarget: Extensive use daylightingTarget: Electric lighting: <1 watt per square foot

Low

High

Conventional

Best in class

New benchmarks

Sustainability

Daylighting used in 95% of rooms, hallwaysElectric lighting: Achieving less than 1 watt per square foot

Compliance

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Achievements: HVAC

Energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioningTarget: Achieve 30 KBTU/square foot or better

Low

High

Conventional

Best in class

New benchmarks

Sustainability

Compliance

Achieving 25 KBTU/ft2

ASHRAE Guide = 90 KBTU/ft2

Target: 30 KBTU/ft2

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Achievements: Construction Waste

Construction waste reduction and recyclingTarget: Waste reduction, recycling substantially better than conventional practices

Low

High

Conventional

Best in class

New benchmarks

Sustainability

Compliance

75% wastes diverted away from landfills

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Achievements: Cost

• Constructed cost– Cost using sustainable technology: $99/ft2

– Conventional: $120/ft2 (Average for Colorado Front Range Schools)

• Operating costs

Sustainable Conventional

Energy $.34/ft2 $.60/ft2

Utilities $98,004/yr. $168,291/yr.

Water $3500/yr. $7000/yr.

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Conclusions

• Sustainable development is the critical issue for the 21st

Century– Important global challenges: economic, environmental and social

• Tremendous challenges, tremendous opportunities– Changeover will happen project by project, by engineers– Required: new, more sustainable technologies, processes,

systems• There is a business case

– But, its different for each company, public agency• Requires new approaches to project delivery

– High performance teams• Sustainable development is a journey

– Changeover will take many decades to accomplish

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Useful References

Becoming Part of the Solution: A Consulting Engineer’s Guide to Sustainable Development, Bill Wallace, American Consulting Engineers Council, Washington, DC, 2004

Our Common Future, The World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1987.

The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability, Paul Hawken, Harper Business, New York, 1993. Financing Change, Stephan Schmidheiny and Federico, J.L. Zorraquin, with the WBCSD, The MIT Press, Cambridge,

Ma.1996. In Earth’s Company: Business, Environment and the Challenge of Sustainability, Carl Frankel, New Society

Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, 1998.Natural Capitalism, Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and, L. Hunter Lovins, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1999.Walking the Talk: The Business Case for Sustainable Development, Chad Holliday, Stephan Schmidheiny, and Philip

Watts, Berrett-Koehler Pub., San Francisco, 2002.The Natural Step for Business: Wealth, Ecology and The Evolutionary Corporation, Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare.

New Society Publishers. Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, 1999. Dancing With the Tiger: Learning Sustainability Step by Natural Step, Brian Nattrass, Mary Altomare , New Society

Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, 2002.The Naked Corporation : How the Age of Transparency Will Revolutionize Business, Don Tapscott (Author), David

Ticoll (Author), Free Press; October 2003.Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees, New Society

Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, 1996. Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development, Livio Desimone, Frank Popoff, and the World Business

Council for Sustainable Development, MIT Press, 1997. Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, John Elkington, New Society Publishers,

Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, 1998. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, William McDonough and Michael Braungart, North Point Press,

New York, 2002. The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World, Bjorn Lomborg, Cambridge University Press,

2001.

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Contact Information:

William A. WallaceWallace Futures Group, LLC1400 Overlook DriveSteamboat Springs, Colorado 80487USATel: +1 (970) 879-1122Fax: +1 (970) 871-7923Mobile: +1 (970) 819-2188Email: [email protected]

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Appendix A:The “Steamboat Principles”

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Sustainability is a Real and Urgent Problem

• The task to achieve sustainability is enormous – More or less a complete overhaul of the world’s

infrastructure• Achieving sustainability will be a long journey,

spanning many, many decades– Replace the legacy, non-sustainable infrastructure

with increasingly more sustainable processes, systems and technologies

– Most have yet to be invented

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For Now, Expect Only Incremental Improvement

• Barring some unlikely world initiative and investment, this overhaul will continue to be done incrementally, project by project– The rate of advancement towards sustainability will continue to

be determined ad hoc by individual project owners– That determination will be based on local regulations,

requirements, standards, goals, knowledge and agendas of the stakeholders

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Need for Guidance and Direction

• “If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will get you there.” Lewis Carroll

• There is a need for some overall guidance and direction– How sustainable projects need to be delivered– How sustainable development progress will be

achieved

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The “Steamboat Principles”

1. Align globally, adjust locally2. Educate and be educated3. Create an environment for innovation4. Strive for continuous improvement5. Don’t expect perfection, but expect commitment

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Align globally, adjust locally

• To achieve real and effective progress toward sustainability, project goals must be aligned to the whole-society goals of sustainable development• Track with the goals and priorities of Agenda 21, the

Millennium Development Goals• Factor in local conditions, issues, and concerns while

maintaining global alignment• Adjust to the applicable regulations and standards• For the developing world, incorporate safeguards to

protect and preserve the global environment

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Educate and be educated

• Engage stakeholders and build trust• Identify their issues of concern• Incorporate local culture and values• Learn from their operating experiences

• Build capacity

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Create an environment for innovation

• Open organizational borders– Share information freely across organizational boundaries– Able to draw upon skills, expertise across organizational

boundaries• Establish an atmosphere of trust• Encourage and promote diversity• Reward and recognition: value information sharing and

innovation• Anticipate change, learn as you go

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Strive for continuous improvement

• Progress will only be achieved if project owners follow the quality maximum of continuous improvement

• Requires new knowledge and information on performance– What others have accomplished– Reliable performance information on new technologies

• Continually seek to “raise the bar” on sustainable performance

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Don’t expect perfection, but expect commitment

• Commit the team to achieving sustainable performance

• Requires fundamental changes in the way design and construction is done• Creation of “high performance teams”• Collaboration is essential• All members are equal• No whining!

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