Updated Summary of and supporting information for
ICE Brunel International Lecture 2001–3
Delivering sustainable development
Roger Venables BSc(Eng) DipM ACGI CEng MICE MCIM MIMgt
Chairman 1999-2002, ICE Environment & Sustainability Board,
Visiting Professor in Engineering Design for Sustainable Development, Queen’s University
Belfast, and Managing Director, Crane Environmental Ltd
Introduction
Sustainable development is development that makes possible sustainable living. That is, delivering:

built development that sustains life and improves the quality of life for human beings;

work that removes the environmental and/or social damage from the past and improves the
sustainability of the wider environment and ecosystems;

development of individuals and of societal quality of life.
The lecture focused on the roles and practical actions that need to be taken by the many disciplines,
organisations and individuals involved in delivering the challenges of sustainable development. These
challenges include delivering poverty reduction, environmental protection and enhancement, efficient
use of natural resources, an improved built environment, economic growth and stability, and
enhancing social capital and human well-being.
The role of professional civil engineers is not simply about ameliorating environmental damage of
construction; we can and do positively improve the human world through the provision of water
supply, wastewater treatment, power stations, roads, airports, ports, bridges, canals etc. But any 21st
century professional engineer who is ignorant of, or ignores, sustainability, who does not seek to
deliver more-sustainable solutions, and who does not also seek to live more sustainably, will be an
incomplete engineer.
The very best civil engineering is, perhaps, already good enough to deliver true sustainability but it is
my contention that sustainable development will only be possible:

with an immense contribution from engineers and engineering;

if engineers work with and listen to many others involved;

if it becomes the normal way for civil engineering to be done;

if civil engineers take a lead;

if practical action is taken now.
For example, as individual engineers can:

become the sales force for sustainable development;

demonstrate the concept by example in whatever way our work and personal lives allow;

persuade our clients, our governments, our friends to do likewise.
Examples of organisational initiatives in the UK include:

The ICE’s Rules of Professional Conduct states that “A member shall have full regard for the
public interest, particularly in relation to the environment and to matters of health and safety.”

In 2003, the ICE extended its previous Environmental Policy Statement into a Sustainability
Charter, which is supported by a series of Environmental Position Statements on issues as
© Crane Environmental: Updated summary of ICE Brunel Lecture 2001–3, Delivering Sustainable Development
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diverse as Energy, Waster Resources, Environmental management, and Land use Planning and
reducing the need for travel – 11 in all.

The ICE led the development of the Sustainability ‘Sector Strategy’ for Civil Engineering –
Society, Sustainability and Civil Engineering, which was published in April 2002, and of which
a second edition is being developed.

The ICE has also led a major project to develop CEEQUAL (the Civil Engineering
Environmental QUALity Assessment and Awards scheme), which was launched in September
2003 and which can, we believe, be applied internationally with only modest amendment.

A government policy paper: ‘A better quality of life: A strategy for sustainable development for
the UK, 1999.

A government procurement action plan, ‘Achieving sustainability in construction procurement’.

The Environment Agency has published its own statement on sustainable development and is
seeking to implement this on its coastal defence works.

The Construction Industry Environmental Forum which has done a huge amount since 1991
through research and discussion meetings to help the industry tackle the issues.
In a global context there is:

WFEO Sustainable Development Committee;

Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Guidelines;

Dow Jones Global Sustainability index.
In individual countries, for example, the Institution of Engineers Australia has published:

a strong code of ethics, including shared values that include ethical behaviour, social justice and
sustainable development;

a strong Policy on Sustainability;

a powerful guide Towards Sustainable Engineering Practice;

a rigorously prepared Infrastructure report card.
What should we actually DO to deliver sustainable development?

Adopt a whole life approach using life-cycle costing and whole-life environmental assessment.

Move to Sustainability Impact Assessment or Sustainability Appraisal instead of just an
Environmental Impact Assessment – Defence Estates have (September 2003) just published its
Sustainability Appraisal Handbook.

Understand the Business Case for Sustainable Construction and widen it to Sustainable
Development, so as to have the arguments at our disposal to persuade our clients to adopt new
approaches to their development projects.

Look for Factor 10 (the concept of seeking a 10-fold improvement in resource utilisation) – or at
least towards it – in all we do. Waste dramatically less. Use dramatically less energy and water.
Generate dramatic improvements in social conditions. Produce dramatic improvements in the
natural as built environments.
Overall, we should be aiming to create appropriate civil engineering works or buildings:

in the right place;

with a sound choice of materials from the right source;

with high environmental performance (eg energy & water consumption, waste minimisation,
maintainability);
© Crane Environmental: Updated summary of ICE Brunel Lecture 2001–3, Delivering Sustainable Development
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
an appropriate design life;

in harmony with its surroundings and neighbours;
so that, with time, this way becomes our norm – and secure a CEEQUAL excellent award
Much work has been done by many people around the world to identify the steps we must take, but in
the UK we have identified the following themes for action, which may resonate elsewhere around
the world.
1. Re-use and improve the performance of existing built assets. On buildings and civil
engineering works, meeting clients’ functional requirements may not require new buildings or
structures. Refurbishment and/or renovation to improve their sustainability performance may
be a better solution than new build.
2. Locate any new development in appropriate localities. At a minimum, we need to avoid
inappropriate localities and, ideally, ensure that a new building or structure is in harmony with
its surroundings, both physical and human.
3. Relate land-use planning to transport infrastructure.
occupants and/or users of the facility we build will gain access to it, and the impacts of the
development on surrounding transport systems and infrastructure.
4. Design for minimum waste and effective use of resources. We need to design out waste
from our designs, from the construction process, from the useful life and from the after-life of
a building or structure. This is a cradle to grave issue, not just about the construction phase,
with design for waste minimisation – looking at the whole life cycle – being undertaken only
occasionally. A whole-life approach thus needs to be adopted and the supply chain involved.
Specify materials with care and seek substantially more-efficient use of resources. We also
need to consider using recycled materials wherever it is appropriate.
5. Design for life. We need to carefully consider the appropriate design life for our buildings,
structures or works, taking into account likely changes of use and the need for adaptability,
plus the need to disassemble it, rather than simply demolish it, at the end of its useful life.
6. Aim for lean construction. We need to work on continuous improvement in performance,
waste elimination, a strong customer focus, delivering value for money alongside high
environmental quality, with high-quality management of projects and supply chains, and
improved communications with your stakeholders.
7. Energy consumption – This includes designing for minimum whole-life energy
consumption, for example balancing embodied energy and energy in use and including
combined heat and power, passive systems using natural light, air movement and thermal
mass to the full, constructing in an energy-efficient manner and operating built facilities
efficiently.
8. Utilise renewable energy sources. We need to consider solutions utilising energy from
renewable sources and integrating such supply into the project.
9. Do not pollute the wider environment. Understand your environmental impacts, and have in
place policies and systems to manage them positively and reduce to a practical minimum the
chances of polluting the environment surrounding your project. Use a formal Environmental
Management System that meets or betters the requirements of ISO 14001. Join the
Considerate Constructors Scheme and abide by its provisions.
10. Preserve and enhance natural features and (appropriate) bio-diversity. We must always
be looking for opportunities throughout the project process from inception to design and
construction, including extraction of raw materials and landscaping of buildings or works, to
provide, improve or protect wildlife habitats.
11. Conserve water resources. We should design for increased water efficiency in building
services and civil engineering works, and for water conservation in the overall built
environment, for example using rainwater capture and greywater recycling for uses that do
not require potable water.
© Crane Environmental: Updated summary of ICE Brunel Lecture 2001–3, Delivering Sustainable Development
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12. Respect people and their local environment, and seek to minimise the adverse social
impacts, and maximise the positive social impacts of your projects. Finally, we need to
involve and be responsive to the local community in planning and undertaking our projects.
We need to provide a safe and respectful working environment for staff and the construction
workforce, to design to minimise nuisance to neighbours during the operational phase, and
manage the construction phase for the same objective.
A final important point on these actions is to recognise the importance of small improvements
alongside the step changes. If a small change in practice that moves us towards a more sustainable
approach can be replicated a million times, this is making at least as important a contribution as the
large steps changes made once. We must not feel that a small, positive step forward is irrelevant and
pointless – it is not.
Conclusions:
1. Ignoring the subject is not an option. The fuzziness in definitions is no excuse for doing nothing
– we know enough to make a difference now.
2. Those who engage with the agenda and the need for changes in practice will be ahead of the pack,
will lead not follow.
3. There is a fantastic amount of information now available to enable anyone to design, build or
operate any civil engineering works or buildings in a better, more sustainable way.
4. Educators have a crucial role in sending civil engineering and other graduates in built and natural
environment subjects out into the world understanding what sustainable development is and how
to deliver it, helping them to understand that sustainable development is the only way forward.
5. We need a Sustainability Impact Assessment for major projects, not just EIAs. Seek to adopt
CEEQUAL and aim for Very Good or Excellent Awards.
6. Everyone – in whatever role they play in development projects – needs:
 an open mind;
 a willingness to learn from others, often not traditional sources of new ideas or approaches;
 to consider sustainability in everything you do;
 to waste less – think Factor 10 – too many recent improvements have been incremental – we
are crying out for some step changes;
 to significantly reduce the energy consumption of what we construct, occupy and use – and
don’t think we have sold our soul to the devil if we let money be the driver for doing so;
 to look for – and deliver – reductions in waste of resources in whatever we do – money can
once again be the driver.
7. Consider sustainability in everything you do. We should ask ourselves the question: “Is what I am
doing striking the right balance between environmental impact, social gain and economics?”
8. It’s the thinking that’s important, and the working together. You give sustainable development
your mind and your time, and it will reward you in return – with social gain, economic progress
… and your planet’s health.
Roger Venables
roger@crane-environmental.co.uk
12 Cranes Drive, Surbiton, Surrey, KT5 8AL, UK
© Crane Environmental: Updated summary of ICE Brunel Lecture 2001–3, Delivering Sustainable Development
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