Introduction

The report “Engineering for Sustainable Development: Guiding principles is a report focused on the concept of
sustainability within the engineering context. For many years sustainability has become a major concern in
almost every aspect of society and this includes the engineering industry which has often an area which raises
a significant amount of concern in the effort to make the planet more sustainable for future generations. This
report by the Royal Academy of Engineering highlights the sociological, technology and ecological aspects of
sustainability within the engineering context. As well as ways in which sustainability may be incorporated into
engineering future practice.

Aim of the report

One of the main aims of the report is to provide an introduction into the impact of sustainability and the
influence of sustainable development on the future of the planet. The report also aims to demonstrate a
movement in the right direction for engineers in terms of sustainability by showing ways engineers are
addressing sustainability within their workplace.

Effectiveness of the Report

The report ensures it adequately describes its main objective through its introduction. First of all, the
introduction sets the tone in describing the necessity for sustainable development. For example the first
sentence states “many of the practices and lifestyles of modern society – particularly but not exclusively
industrialised society – simply cannot be sustained indefinitely”. In addition, the second part of the
introduction provides a scope for the report which addresses the issues the report focuses on. The subsequent
parts include a thorough definition of sustainable development which defined as “one that utilises human,
environmental and financial capital to enhance or increase human, social, environmental, financial and/or
manufactured capital”. The introduction includes the implications of good sustainability development such as
improvements to environmental performance as well as quality of life.

The use of several case studies is an effective tool for explaining complex ideas and concepts. In the report
practical examples of sustainability scenarios covering a range of different disciplines in engineering are used
to demonstrate the impact of sustainability in the world. The examples range from the construction of the
jubilee river to consideration of the pros and cons of catalytic converters to the production of sustainable
mobile phones. This has a significant effect on the reader as they are confronted with sustainability issues and
significant questions that affect an engineer on a day to day basis. These questions included “Can systems and
technologies be developed to do the work of in a sustainable manner? and “how to balance the positive and
negative impact of sustainable solutions.

Principles are an effective way providing an understanding of a concept. One of the defining aspects of the
report is the provision of twelve guiding principles for sustainable development and the application of the
principles in practice. In a complex subject area like sustainability principles provide a clear procedure and
insight for engineers reading the report. The learning process is enhanced through the application of the
described principles to the examples mentioned earlier in the report. Understand of the principles is further
enhanced by applying them to a life cycle of decision making.

Although the report provides a set of principles and the application of the said principles one area that is
lacking is the process of how the principles were derived. Information is provided stating that the principles
were identified through the evaluation of several case studies but what is not included is how and why the
selected twelve principles were chosen. Another weakness of the report is a lack proof of the effectiveness of
the principles stated. Although the report provides guidance on how the principles stated may be incorporated
into engineering practice there are a lack of examples highlighting the success of incorporating each principle
in terms of addressing sustainability in engineering. Section 3.3 may be enhanced by providing a direct link
between the application of a principle and its effect in improving sustainability.
Conclusion

Overall this report achieves its objective through a very clear and well organised content. It achieves its main
aim of connections between sustainability, sustainable development and engineering, and the vital role of
engineers and engineering in delivering sustainable development by providing several examples and case
studies highlighting sustainability issues in engineering and providing guiding principles of engineering for
sustainability development. It may be improved by providing success stories of the implementation on the
principles identified.