Sustainable Development

Designers utilize design approaches that support sustainable development across a variety of contexts. A holistic and systematic approach is needed at all stages of design development to satisfy all stakeholders. In order to develop sustainable products, designers must balance aesthetic, cost, social, cultural, energy, material, health and usability considerations.

Triple bottom line sustainability does not only focus on the profitability of an organization or product, but also the environmental and social benefit it can bring. 

Organizations that embrace triple bottom line sustainability can make significant positive effects to the lives of others and the environment by changing the impact of their business activities

Sustainability & Sustainable Development/

Term: Sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic and social dimensions. It is the capacity to endure and maintain.

• Autodesk, Coca Cola and McDonald’s approach to Sustainability.

Term:  Sustainable Development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Triple Bottom Line Sustainability

Term: An expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success: economic, environmental and social.

TBL

Environmental Aspect of TBL

• It is technically possible to deliver the same or equivalent goods and services with lower environmental impact while maintaining social and equity benefits.

• Is involved in maintaining the ecosystem by optimizing (using) its resources more prudently.

  • This could include redesigning the production system to be more efficient.

  • Maintaining ecosystem integrity

  • Assess and work within the carrying capacity (the size of a population that an ecosystem can support without degradation of social, economic and environmental systems).

  • Recognizing and maintaining  biodiversity.

• Historically there has been a close correlation between economic growth and environmental degradation—as economic prosperity increases so environmental quality decreases. 

  • This trend is clearly demonstrated on graphs of human population numbers, economic growth and environmental indicators, see graph below.

• Sustainable development frameworks enable the evaluation of the complex and interrelated concepts that are associated with development.

Social Aspect of TBL

• There is a correlation between economic development and human well-being.

  • See graph below.

  • International Development on Wikipedia. It mentions economics influence.

• Social sustainability:

  • Designing to develop goods and services for the enhancement of human well-being,

  • maintaining cultural identity,

  • empowerment of local communities,

  • accessibility to resources and services,

  • stability of communities not placing them in upheaval

  • social and gender equity

GDP vs Social Indicators

Economic Aspect of TBL

• Economic development increases the GDP and spending power of people this results in consumption of resources leading to a negative environmental impact.

• Designing for sustainability is dependent upon an understanding of the short- and long-term goals and values of individuals, institutions and governments.

• It is about the big picture that allows economic activity to rise while:

  • reducing resource use and reducing environmental impact.

  • maintaining economic growth,

  • development,

  • improving productivity,

  • facilitates the economic trickle-down affect to local communities

• Close cooperation is required between designer and manufacturer.

• The importance of sustainability issues and strategies is critical to sustainable economic development.

Decoupling

Term: Decoupling refers to disconnecting two trends so that one no longer depends on the other. Through the act of decoupling (using resources more productively and redesigning production systems), it is technically possible to deliver the same or equivalent goods and services with lower environmental impact while maintaining social and equity benefits.

• Decoupling is a strategy for sustainability

• Consider the benefits and limitations of decoupling as an appropriate strategy for sustainability

• Wikipedia on decoupling

Decoupling impacts and resources – from the UNEP

International and National Laws

• The use of international and national laws to promote sustainable development

  • Nations need to adhere to the treaties/laws usually through enforceable domestic legislation.

• International and national laws encourage companies to focus on something other than shareholder value and financial performance

• Adopting a corporate strategy that has the support of shareholders/stakeholders can be difficult to achieve. 

  • International and national laws encourage companies to focus on aspects other than shareholder value and financial performance,

  • These include transparency of corporate sustainability, transparent sustainability assurance and whether businesses, public services, national resources and the economy have the means to continue in the years ahead at a micro and macro level.

• Kyoto Protocol on carbon emissions

• Rio Earth Summit on sustainability

Sustainability Reporting

Term: A company report that focuses on four aspects of performance: Economic; Environmental; Social; and Governance.

A sustainability report is an organization report that provides information on its performance in 4 areas:

• Economic

• Environmental

• Social

• Governance

The reliability and acceptance of sustainability reporting requires accurate data gathering to be maintained over a lengthy period of time. 

Benefits of sustainability reporting for:

Product Stewardship

• Everyone involved in making, selling, buying or handling equipment (products) takes responsibility for minimizing environmental impact of the equipment at all stages in the life cycle.

• Designers may need to respond to consumer pressure as more consumers become aware of resource issues and product labeling. 

International Mindedness

Changes in governments sometimes result in the reversal of sustainable development policies leading to different approaches to international agreements.

Theory of Knowledge

Design involves making value judgments in deciding between different ways of interacting with the environment. Is this the case in other areas of knowledge?

Sustainable Consumption

Designers develop products, services and systems that satisfy basic needs and improve quality of life. To meet sustainable consumption requirements, they must also minimize the use of natural resources, toxic materials and waste, and reduce emissions of pollutants at all stages of the life cycle.

It is not only the role of designers to create markets for sustainable products. Consumers need to change their habits and express a want and need for these products.

Sustainable Consumption

Term: The consumption of goods and services that have minimal environmental impact, promote social equity and economically viable, whilst meeting basic human needs worldwide.

• Sustainable consumption is not about consuming less but consuming differently.

• Designers need to recognize the importance of consumerism in developed countries and as an ambition in many developing countries.

• Societies, particularly in developed countries, are [tend to be] a throwaway society.

• Consumers need to be encouraged to repair and reuse products rather than throw them away. 

• Sustainable design and sustainable production contribute to sustainable consumption.

• This can be achieved in a number of ways, for example, not buying more food than needed and reducing waste; changing attitudes to water and energy use, for example, turning taps off when brushing teeth, aerated water in showers, less water per flush of the toilet, grey water. 

Consumer Attitudes

Consumer attitudes and behaviors towards sustainability can be classified into 4 groups.

Eco-warriors:

Term: Individuals or groups that actively demonstrate on environmental issues.

• It is an individual who cares about our environment & the diversity of life forms so much that they want to take action.

• An eco-warrior can be someone such as non-confrontational as a tree sitter or someone who engages in direct action, ranging anywhere from planting tree spikes into trees on public lands, to keep the lumber industry from cutting them down, to sit-ins which occupy a corporate office.

Eco-champions:

Term: Individuals or groups that champion environmental issues within organizations.

• Champion environmental issues within organizations.

• Attempt to introduce or create change in a product, process, or method that takes into account green or environmental issues

• Is a person who fights or argues for a cause.

Eco-fans:

Term: Individuals or groups that enthusiastically adopt environmentally friendly practices as consumers.

• It is usually someone who accepts all green design products on the current market or its related objectives.

• An eco-fan will usually buy anything that is environmentally friendly and will never buy a harmful product.

Green Attitude to Buying Green – click on the image

Eco-phobes:

Term: Individuals or groups that actively resent talk of environmental protection.

• Eco-phobes are people who are against helping the environment and purposely go against the ecological movements.

• They believe that the environmental problems are irrelevant to their lives or are blown out of proportion.

• Wikipedia reference to environmental denial

• An example of an eco-phobe is a head of a country refusing to sign the Kyoto agreement which is based on controlling the c02 output in a country and limit it in order to decrease global warming.

Eco-Labelling and Energy Labelling Schemes

• For the designer such labels can help guide their designing in order to meet country regulations or the manufacturers design specifications.

• When designers design products they need to take into consideration the criteria that make up the different  eco and energy labels for different labelling schemes.

• For the consumer they can make the appropriate purchase if they are environmentally concerned.  Different countries have different  contexts.

• International standardization has resulted in many  eco- and energy labelling schemes being similar thus easy for the consigner to understand.

Eco-labelling:

Term: The labelling of products to demonstrate that they are better for the environment than other products.

• Provides reliable information about how the product impacts the environment, considering all stages of the product’s life cycle: manufacture, distribution, use and disposal. An example of this is Swan eco-label.

• Aids in the improvement of the workers have a role in the production’s social and economic conditions, like the Fair Trade Labelling.

• Informs customers about how the energy is produced, and whether it meets certain requirements, like those of The FANC energy eco-labelling scheme.

• Allows consumers to make informed choices.

Energy-labeling:

Term: The labeling of products to show how energy efficient they are. The label displays information in four categories: the product’s details; Energy classification that shows the product’s electrical consumption; Measurements relating to consumption, efficiency and capacity etc.; Noise emitted from the product when in use.

• The label provides/displays four pieces of  information:

  • The product’s details;

  • Energy classification that shows the product’s electrical consumption;

  • Measurements relating to consumption, efficiency and capacity etc.;

  • Noise emitted from the product when in use.

• It shows the user how much energy is required/used by a product, as well as how efficient it is (how much heat-loss for example)

• By using such labels, consumers can make their choices in products, by taking into account how much energy (toll on the environment) is used by the product.

• By comparing theses two labels. and with consumer help, more environmentally friendly products could be sold therefore making companies use greener design.

• As with Eco-labelling this label is given by a third party company

Market for Sustainable Products

Corporate strategies have an  impact on the design brief or specifications, such as, market development, where we take an existing product and develop a new segment.

Creating a market for sustainable products:

• pricing considerations: ensuring the products proved value-for-money to the customer.

  • such as eBikes that use cheaper lead-acid batteries vs lithium ion batteries.

• long term costs

  • For example incandescent bulbs are very cheap and long life bulbs tend to more expensive. The Incandescent bulbs need regular changing

• stimulating demand for green products

  • consumers must be convinced that the green product is of similar or better quality

  • is competitively priced

  • promote their green products

• production of green products

  • taking into consideration triple bottom line sustainability

  • JIT manufacturing

  •  end-of-pipe or better still radical change to manufacturing

• 13 Sustainable products for 2013

Pressure Groups

Collections of individuals who hold a similar viewpoint on a particular topic, for example the environment, who take action to promote positive change to meet their goals.

“Non-profit and usually voluntary organizations whose members have a common cause for which they seek to influence political or corporate decision makers to achieve a declared objective. Whereas interest groups try to defend a cause (maintain the status quo), the pressure groups try to promote it (change the status quo).” (Business dictionary)

• Pressure groups are not a market segment but they can influence the market and product cycle.

• Some large organizations have evolved to inform consumers about environmental issues and ethical issues relating to the activities of certain multinational corporations.

• These pressure groups are able to exert considerable influence to press for changes on these issues and to support or undermine development of specific technologies, for example, GM food production.

• Consumer and environmental pressure groups can attract widespread support using the media (including social media).

• Consumers have become increasingly aware of information provided by these organizations and, as markets have globalized, so has consumer power.

Lifestyle and Ethical Consumerism

Ethical Consumerism: The practice of consciously purchasing products and services produced in a way that minimizes social and environmental damage, while avoiding those that have a negative impact on society and the environment.

Lifestyle Consumerism: A social and economic order and ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever greater amounts.

• Consider strategies for managing western consumption while raising the standard of living of the developing world without increasing resource use and environmental impact.

• Some companies incorporate ethics into their corporate strategy and designers need to work within such constraints.

• They aim to curb and manage Western consumption while raising the standard of living of the developing world without increasing its resource use and environmental impact.

Implications of Take-Back Legislation for Designers, Manufacturers and Consumers

Take back legislation is the legislation that holds manufacturers responsible for the environmentally safe recycling or disposal of their end-of-life products. They are expected to provide a financial and/or physical plan to ensure that such products are collected and processed.

• Apple, in 2016, introduced a take back program where you can get a discounted price on a new phone.

• In Maine in the U.S.A., Car manufacturers have take-back legislation in the sense that they have to pay for the collection and recycling of mercury switches from old cars.

• In March 2003 the UK government issued a legislation requiring that all car manufacturers and vehicle importers of new cars into the United Kingdom take back vehicles from their previous owner and guarantee that they are treated environmentally friendly.

• In Sweden, Producers and importers must take back for free a piece of old equipment (all electrical household appliance) when the customer buys a new product.

• In Japan, the end users are obliged to pay fees for collection, take-back and recycling at the time of disposal. The government sets the fees to cover industry’s actual costs for take-back, transportation, and recycling. They are (in U.S. dollars): washing machine, $24; air conditioner, $35; refrigerator, $46; and television, $27.

• LG Policy of recycling and take-back.

The implications for the design cycle and product cycle depend on the nature of appropriate legislation.

• Impact for the designer … when designing

  • Consider candle to the grave or cradle to cradle to cradle

  • Consider recyclability or re-use of materials

  • Consider design for disassembly

  • Work within the cost constraints if manufacturer – make the process efficient

• Impact for the manufacturer …

  • Added costs due to paying for it to be returned and recycled

  • Interested in design for disassembly and recyclability since they are most likely the ones pulling it apart and recycling or reusing

  • consider manufacturing techniques

  • consider material selection and reduction in products

  • collection systems need to be developed

  • manage the waste themselves or have a third party do it

• Impact for the consumer …

  • The extra costs may be passed onto the consumer

  • Must return the product

  • can rest assured that the environment is considered

International Mindedness

There are many different eco-labelling and energy-labelling schemes across the world that could be standardized

Theory of Knowledge

Eco-warriors sometimes break laws to express their views. Does the rightness or wrongness of an action depend on the situation?

Sustainable Design

The first step to sustainable design is to consider a product, service or system in relation to eco-design and analyze its impact using life cycle analysis. The designer then develops these to minimize environmental impacts identified from this analysis. Considering sustainability from the beginning of the process is essential.

Datschefski’s five principles of sustainable design equip the designer with a tool not only to design new products, but also to evaluate an existing product. This can lead to new design opportunities and increase the level at which a product aligns with these principles.

Green design versus sustainable design

Green design: is designing in a way that takes account of the environmental impact of the product throughout its life

Sustainable design  is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability. (Wikipedia)

Datschefski’s five principles of sustainable design

Students need to develop an understanding of Datschefski’s five principles of sustainable design (The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products, 2001). The five principles are a holistic approach to sustainable design but only selected principles will be possible/applicable to some products.

• Cyclic – The product could not only be made from recyclable materials but is also  compostable, of organic materials or from minerals that are recycled in a continuous loop such as bio plastics.

• Solar – The energy (both embedded and in use) the product requires comes from only renewable energy sources that are cyclic and safe.

• Safe – By-products products that are emitted into the environment (air, land & water) and ’space’ are non-hazardous, i.e. non polluting. The by-products are “food” for other systems. Hydrogen fuel cell cars’ by-product when in use is H2O.

• Efficient – Requiring 90% less energy, materials and water than equivalent products in 1990.

• Social – The products manufacture and usage should underpin basic human rights, safe work practices, fair trade principles and natural justice.

International-mindedness

The application of Datschefski’s social principle of sustainable design can have different effects across different countries.

Theory of knowledge

Datschefski developed his five principles of sustainable design to help designers structure their approach and thoughts. In what ways and areas would the absence of experts most severely limit our knowledge?

Sustainable Innovation

Sustainable innovation yields both bottom line and top line returns as developing products, services and systems that are environmentally friendly lowers costs through reducing the resources required. Designers should view compliance with government legislation as an opportunity for sustainable innovation.

As energy security becomes an ever more important issue for all countries, designers, engineers and inventors need to develop new ways of efficiently generating energy. As new energy production technologies become available, designers need to harness them to be used in new products to improve their energy efficiency.

Complexity and Timescale of Sustainable Innovation

Complexities:

• Sustainable innovation relies on cooperation between different stakeholders such as government and manufacturing.

  • This is often difficult as both parties have differing views.

  • Sustainable innovation requires a radical change which is time-consuming and expensive so manufacturers are not so willing to consider sustainable innovation.

• It is the broadest approach going beyond technical solutions. This approach is based on a socio-technical systems (interaction between people land technology) intervention rather than just considering product improvement.

Timescale:

• The huge timescale means that sustainability is difficult to maintain as conditions/criteria can change significantly, for example, a lengthy period of economic downturn.

• Sustainable innovation is a hugely complex concept that requires a long time for implementation, typically 20–40 years depending on the nature of the innovation.

Sustainable Strategies

Sustainable use of the planet will require multiple sustainability strategies, which will range from the entire system, the entire Earth, the local or regional.

Strategies starting at the highest system level are referred to as ‘top-down’, and strategies designed for components, local or regional, are referred to as ‘bottom-up’ Integrating top-down/bottom-up sustainability strategies: An ethical challenge (PDF Download Available). [accessed Nov 26, 2015].

Top-down strategies

• Strategies implemented from the ‘top’ such as global or national government initiatives.

• Management of resources, finances (controlling bank rates, etc) and so on.

• It provides targets and measures for sustainability.

• When considering sustainable innovation, designers are usually more comfortable with top-down strategies as it means investment and resources are more predictable and reliable. 

Examples of top-down and bottom-up strategies and the advantages and disadvantages for consumers/users

Bottom-up strategies

• Strategies implemented from the ‘bottom’ such as regional or local (city or town) level.

• These include local initiatives like Planting Tree Campaigns

• Designers involved with bottom-up strategies are usually enthusiasts for the project and willing to make a commitment even though it may not be cost-effective to do so. 

Examples of top-down and bottom-up strategies and the advantages and disadvantages for consumers/users

Government intervention in innovation

There are various strategies that governments use to promote knowledge exchange and technology transfer, including:

• regulation—setting and policing rules to avoid or limit environmental issues caused by undesirable technologies

  • yet allow the manufacturer to still make profits

• education—providing consumers with information and guidance in the choice of products and services that are more sustainable

  • such as eco and energy labels

• taxes—to penalize environmentally damaging technologies and influence consumer choice of sustainable products and services

  • outside Beijing the government is forcing companies to comply or they are fined and ultimately closed down

• subsidies—to stimulate and support sustainable innovations.

  • sustainable innovation can cast the company profits so governments offer financial help or tax breaks.

A potential problem for designers is the changing political scene and associated policies, for example, within the domain of renewable energy.

Macro energy sustainability

• Macro energy sustainability concerns can be influenced through international treaties and current international energy policies, instruments for change and disincentives, and national systems changing policy when government leadership changes.

• Kyoto Protocol on the reduction of green house gases.

  • In order for it to be successful all governments need to agree, for a while Australia and USA did not so many countries followed suit

• Are there any other implications of how macro energy sustainability can be influenced?

Micro energy sustainability

• Micro energy sustainability can be influenced by government, through their role in raising awareness and changing attitudes related to energy use and the promotion of individual and business action towards energy sustainability.

• Local governments installing Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

• Are there any other implications of how micro energy sustainability can be influenced?

Energy security

How energy security can be influenced by energy demand/supply trends and forecasting, demand response versus energy efficiency, and smart grids

• Energy demand is rarely constant and this puts a responsibility on those that generate and manage the flow of energy to understand when peaks and troughs of energy use occur over the course of days, weeks and years.

  • For example, in many countries, energy demand increases substantially during breaks and following popular TV shows as large numbers of people put the kettle on to enjoy a hot beverage.

  • Also, there may be particular periods during the night where energy use is at a minimum. In these situations it is vital that the power-generating stations are informed when to start and stop energy generation.

  • The difficulty arises as massive amounts of electricity cannot easily be stored, excess energy generated at these times is wasted.

  • Demand/supply trends need to be predicted carefully to create a responsive and efficient energy supply.

International Mindedness

The internal policies of particular governments have international implications.

Theory of Knowledge

To what extent should environmental concerns limit our pursuit of knowledge?