September 27, 2012

TACA

Sustainability & Resiliency

Sustainability Definitionsus·tain·a·bil·i·ty: noun

1. The ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed

2. The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance

Raw Material SustainabilityBy 2050, humanity could consume an estimated 140 billion tons of minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass per year (three times its current amount)

Developed countries' citizens consume an average of 16 tons of those four key resources per capita, ranging up to 40 or more tons per person in some developed countries

Water SustainabilityCurrently upwards of 35% of human water use is unsustainable, drawing on diminishing aquifers and reducing the flows of major rivers

From 1961 to 2001 water demand doubled - agricultural use increased by 75%, industrial use by more than 200%, and domestic use more than 400%

In the 1990s it was estimated that humans were using 40–50% of the globally available freshwater in the approximate proportion of 70% for agriculture, 22% for industry, and 8% for domestic purposes

Triple Bottom LineThe three pillars - or the "triple bottom line"- have served as a common ground for numerous sustainability standards and certification systems in recent years, in particular in the food industry

Social

Environment EconomicSustainable

Bearable Equitable

Viable

Environment

Dimensional ConstraintsA new way of viewing the relationship between the three pillars of sustainability suggesting that both economy and society are constrained by environmental limits

Social

Economic

Economic Dimension Human sustainability interfaces with economics through the voluntary trade consequences of economic activity

Several key areas have been targeted for economic analysis and reform:

1. The environmental effects of unconstrained economic growth

2. The consequences of nature being treated as an economic externality

3. The possibility of an economics that takes greater account of the social and environmental consequences of market behavior

Economic Dimension Sustainability studies analyze ways to reduce the amount of resources needed for the production, consumption and disposal of a unit of good or service

Examples of resources include water, energy, or raw materials

This can be achieved through improved economic management, product design, or new technology

Economic Dimension The term decoupling is becoming increasingly used in the context of economic production and environmental quality

When used in this way, it refers to the ability of an economy to grow without incurring corresponding increases in environmental pressure

Social DimensionMoving towards sustainability while keeping the quality of life high is a social challenge that entails:

• International and national law

• Urban planning and transport

• Local and individual lifestyles

• Ethical consumerism

Social DimensionOther approaches, loosely based around new urbanism, are successfully reducing environmental impacts by altering the built environment to create and preserve sustainable cities which support sustainable transport

Residents in compact urban neighborhoods drive fewer miles, and have significantly lower environmental impacts across a range of measures, compared with those living in sprawling suburbs

The concept of circular flow land use management has also been introduced in Europe to promote sustainable land use patterns that strive for compact cities and a reduction of greenfield land taken by urban sprawl

Environmental DimensionThree broad criteria for ecological sustainability:

1. Renewable resources should provide a sustainable yield (the rate of harvest should not exceed the rate of regeneration)

2. Non-renewable resources should have equivalent development of renewable substitutes

3. Waste generation should not exceed the assimilative capacity of the environment

Environmental DimensionSustainable use of materials has targeted the idea of dematerialization

Converting the linear path of materials (extraction, use, disposal in landfill) to a circular material flow that reuses materials as much as possible

Prevention Minimization

Reuse Recycling

Energy Recovery

Disposal Least Desirable

Most Desirable

Cement IndustryAt projected growth rates, the cement usage is not sustainable in the near future. Aggregate usage faces a similar outcome

Texas Cement Requirements

0

7,500,000

15,000,000

22,500,000

30,000,000

2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032 2036 20402040

Consumption Production

Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable development is aimed at meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Enter Resiliency

Resiliencyre·sil·ience: noun

1. The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.

2. The ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.

Sustainability vs ResiliencySustainability is an industry issue

Focused has shifted past this issue, but it is still there

Resiliency is a product issue

Most of the current focus is on resiliency

Product specifications are being designed and dictated to achieve product resiliency and will have an impact on our industry

Today's Focus• US Green Building Council LEED • PCR, EPD, LCCA • Sustainability within the markets • National Association Overview • Current Job Specifications • Owner’s Perspective