Sustainable Development Role of Engineering Managers & Technologists

8/8/2019 Sustainable Development Role of Engineering Managers & Technologists

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Sustainable Development Role of Engineering Managers andTechnologists

YP Chawla Hd. Energy Sector Apollo Tyres

An Abstract:

Vedas -a bank of knowledge, with hymns collected in between 1000 and 500 BCdescribe the dynamics of five elements (paunch tatwa): Earth, Sky, Wind, Water, and

Fire (Sun). Vedas convey sun being the nourisher, earth the Goddess -feedingeveryone., Water providing remedies, Air a source of living, Sky an universal umbrellaAll the entities in the universe are dependent upon these five elements. In theAtharvaveda, the earth is described in one hymn of 63 verses. This famous hymncalled as Bhumisukta or Prithivisukta indicates the environmental consciousness ofVedic seers. Modern society, proud of its technological advancements, is reluctantlyaccepting the service of nature, with Ecological Economics - a new emerging trans-disciplinary science, recognizing the service of nature for the sustainability of humanbeing vis--vis all Biotic and Abiotic components. Modern environmentalists discusssound or noise pollution. Yajurveda depicts a relation between ETHER AKASHA andsound, giving an interesting advice to the mankind of not to destroy anything of the sky

and not to pollute the sky avoiding destruction of anything of Antariksha. We need toblend the Technology with our earlier mythological beliefs. The unity in diversity is themessage of Vedic physical and metaphysicalsciences.

India, like any other country, has the self-determination and sovereignty, to decide onthe Economic Policies. Once these Policies are framed, the Role of Technocrats,Engineering Managers, Industry, and Business & Society Starts. 21st century startedwith a Key aim of Sustainable Development," embraced by the internationalcommunity as back as 1992. Then in 2007 Climate Change became the buzzword and

now in 2010 the Biodiversity - another key environmental concern has emergedcovering biodiversity -the diversity of species, variety of ecosystems, and variability ofgenes , which now occupies a similar position in the public debate as Climate Changedid in 2007.

Sustainable Development (SD) means using resources no faster than they canregenerate themselves and releasing Pollutants to no greater extent than NaturalResources can assimilate them and also covers Sustainable Consumption involvingnot merely technological progress, but also cultural patterns of individual behavior andvalues of the society at large. The SD focuses around three pillars with a Vision of2050 & setting a new agenda for business; i) Green Economy :ii) a transformation to

address climate change and multiple crises; and iii)Water - the new challenge for the21st century.

Industry is one of the biggest Contributors to GDP; the objective of SDs framework isin shaping the production and consumption & at the same time encouragingTechnological Innovation in Industry for todays knowledge based Society, achievingenvironmental compatibility in lifestyles and economies thus ultimately the Business.Sustainability thus has a strategic aim of optimizing the interactions between nature,society, and the economy, in accordance with the ecological criteria, combining thepolitical stability, sound macroeconomic policies, and social cohesion.


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The Challenge to the Role of a Technologist, Engineering Manager is to developTechnology or a Product that is required for Sustainable Development, with an aim onpromoting Inclusive Growth through its Business Process.

Tags: Sustainable. Inclusive Growth, Biodiversity, Technologist, Engineering Manager

The Sustainable Development Indicators have started playing its role & gettingreflected in Corporate Decision-making by the use of Renewable NaturalResources and changing technological Operations to reduce such use - even in theindustries not highly regulated with not having much direct impact on biodiversity. Infact, now the Industry is considering Biodiversity as an opportunity rather than achallenge or a threat.

As a country India could reduce the share of its population living under the extremepoverty line, and is now broadening its approach towards SD, promoting inclusivegrowth by bringing in National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and likeschemes.

Global change is creating enormous challenges for the humanity. The world'spopulation is expected to grow from nearly 6 billion today to 8.5 billion by the year2025. Global energy requirements will continue to increase. India is experiencing arapid Economic Growth that will also add to modern society's environmental problems,including air and water pollution and waste problems, to wider areas of the World aGlobal Village of today. India has bigger challenge to meet the sanitation issues of avast population .The industrialized world will have to accept special responsibility-notonly because of their past ecological sins, but also because of level of their presenttechnological know-how as well as Financial Resources.

It is thus a Technologist irrespective of the Country that takes an important role in theSD, leading to Inclusive Growth and effect on Biodiversity.

Strategies and Alignments for competing in the Future have changed for the Industrybased on Environment friendly technologies.

Role Profile of Technologist & the Engineer / Engineer Manager en-compasses a verywide field. A restricted role has been depicted here for giving a flavour of the Role ofTechnologist and Engineers. A few of the areas are:Energy use.

Improve access to all, a reliable, affordable, economically viable, sociallyacceptable and environmentally sound energy services , recognize that energyservices have positive impacts on poverty eradication and the improvement ofstandards of living thus taking care of Integrated Growth

Develop and disseminate alternative energy technologies with the aim of givinga greater share of the energy mix to renewable energy and, with a sense ofurgency, substantially increase the global share of renewable energy sourcesfor SD

Diversify energy supply by developing advanced, cleaner, more efficient andcost-effective energy / Energy conservation technologies & Accelerate thedevelopment, for dissemination and deployment

Combine a range of energy technologies, including advanced and cleaner fossilfuel technologies, to meet the growing need for energy services


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This will help reduce emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases. Simply tostabilize atmospheric greenhouse-gas concentrations achieving this goal involvesfocusing on improved thermal insulation in buildings, on the use of heat/powercogeneration, and on efficient support for the use of renewable energies.

Close Substance Cycles.Micro-systems and Control technologies are providing newopportunities to design environmentally friendly production processes.

Water: Integrated Environmental Technologies in Water Filtering and Wastewater-

treatment have helped enhanced air and water quality with optimal use of Energy &Materials with lesser wastes. This requires a necessary framework with the ClosedSubstance Cycle and Waste Management Act &Instruments like eco-audits, tohelpidentify the saving potentials from environmental protection investments, also promotedevelopment of such "clean" technologies.

Environmentally Compatible MobilityEnvironmentallycompatible traffic concepts are natural-gas engines,electric cars, hydrogen engines, and fuel-cell engines canall play a role in eliminating motor-vehicle emissions.

Tele-matics can enable traffic to

move more efficiently. Informationand communication technologiescan eliminate the need for physicaltransports in some areas, and computerized logistics in goodstransports can reduce total transport distances.

Bio-Technology is expected to bring importantadvances in medical diagnosis and therapy, in solvingfood problems, in energy saving, in environmentallycompatible industrial and agricultural production, and inspecially targeted environmental protection projects.

Genetically altered microorganisms can break down awide range of pollutants by being used, for example, inbio-filters and

wastewater-treatmentfacilities, and in theclean-up of pollutedsites. Genetically modified organisms can also alleviateenvironmental burdens by reducing the need forpesticides, fertilizers, and medications.

Technologists, Engineers & Policy Makers alike face

the challenge of recognizing interrelationships andinteractions between Ecological, Economic, and Socialfactors and taking account of these factors whenseeking solution strategies. To meet this challenge,decision-makers require interdisciplinary techno-

approaches and strategies that cut across various sectors. They have to develop newenvironment-friendly technologies that facilitate low carbon growth, and for the publicto become aware of such technologies that can contribute towards effectiveadaptation to climate risks and provide a momentum to the solution-finding process forclimate change.


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Sustainable DevelopmentAreas (This paper covers SDpartially, being one of thePapers of the Seminar on the

Vast Subject with great depth). SD provides Challenges, transformation andopportunities for the business houses. But the growing demand resources like fossil

fuels, water, and so on, with highpopulation growth, could lead toresource insecurity and anecosystem collapse. There is aneed to develop pathways thatcan quantify market potential and

exploit the available opportunities.

Social & Economic This paper mainly focuses on limited areas of

Energy, Water, Land, Climate Change.

Industry Poverty SCP:- Sustainable Consumption &

Production Patterns Sustainable Tourism Trade

Demographics Health Human Settlements

Natural Resources Management

Agriculture Desertification &

Drought Rural

Development

Biodiversity Forests Land Mountains

Oceans &Seas

Sanitation Water/

Freshwater

Atmosphere Climate Change Disaster

Reduction &

Management

Energy Transport

Chemicals Toxic Chemicals Waste -Hazardous / Waste (Radioactive Waste -Solid

Regional Dimensions on Sustainable development of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (SARD), it may be noted that, by the year 2025, 83 per cent of theexpected global population of 8.5 billion will be living in developing countries & Indianpopulation is growing faster than its GDP & making much of Global Populationincrease and the capacity of available resources and technologies to satisfy thedemands of this growing population for food and other agricultural commoditiesremains uncertain. Agriculture Technologists and Engineers has the challenge to meetincreasing production on land already in use and by avoiding further encroachment onland that is only marginally suitable for cultivation.

Technologists & Engineers in Industry play a critical role in innovations and R & D -crucial for the economic and Social Development, & Inclusive Growth of any country,as well as in the development, diffusion and transfer of environmentally sound


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technologies and management techniques, which constitute a key element of SD,keeping our Biodiversity intact.

There is a mutually reinforcing relationship between Social and industrialdevelopment, and industrialization has the potential to promote, directly and indirectly,a variety of social objectives such as employment creation, poverty eradication,gender equality, labour standards, and greater access to education and health care. Inthis regard, the overriding policy challenge is to promote the positive impacts whilelimiting or eliminating the negative impacts of industrial activities on socialdevelopment.

Industry: More than half of world's most innovativecompanies are in Asia, Europe

There was a time when most of the top innovative

companies were Americans, but that U.S. dominance no longer exists

today. According to a survey done by James Andrew, Senior Partner and

Head of the global innovation practice at Boston Consulting Group, more

than half of the companies in this year's most innovative companies list

came from Asia and Europe.

Report published in Bloomberg Business Week, 80 percent of the respondents wereopine that to benefit from the economic recovery, innovation will be a key part of theirstrategy. While 72 percent of the companies consider innovation as a "top three"strategic priority, 61 percent of them are planning to increase their investment oninnovation. Top 50 innovative companies included, 15 Asian companies found theirplace, out of which, four were there in the top 10 companies.

The survey showed that in the year 2007 Tata Group (17th) established the TataGroup Innovation Forum, a panel of the company's senior executives and selectedCEOs of its independently run businesses. The purpose behind setting up the panel

was to inspire its employees to be more innovative.

A similar move came from Honda Motor (26th), when it promoted its former head ofresearch and development to the CEO spot last year. Samsung Electronics also tooka vital step toward innovation by restating innovation's priority in Vision2020.

Indian capable Technocrats are behind Innovations, with the agenda setby the companies. Indian Corporate is required to come forward to convertthe Indian Technocrats capability to an asset to help India in SD & InclusiveGrowth, helping Indian Home maker to a decision maker of intelligently

choosing their Legislative Member to carry them forward.

Accelerating Sustainable Development to reach the have nots The keychallenges:- Role of Technologists, Engineers in the new development paradigm.- Building institutions for effective climate governance.- From sustainable livelihoods to sustainable development.- Sustaining Business in a climate constrained world.- In pursuit of sustainable development: the place for ethics, equity, and social justice.


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correct the world of distorted priorities. . The current trends observed worldwide inunsustainable use of natural resources and the widespread damage and degradationof fragile ecosystems are of serious concern. Yet, there are in evidence manysuccessful examples at the level of sub-regions, states and provinces, towns, citiesand villages where local communities have created solutions and set in motioninitiatives, which provide hope and examples worthy of emulation. Why is it then that,while the world has found in several cases with such inspiring models ofSustainable Development & Inclusive Growth , globally (more so in India )thereremains a wall of resistance and a huge volume of inertia that limits theacceptance of good solutions?

Fallout:

References: Conclave of Thought Leaders: The Future of Sustainable Development

New York 11-12 May 2009 ; DSDS2010 5-7 Feb 2010

Rigveda; Yajurveda; Samaveda; Atharvaveda & CartoonsAbout the Author:

Y P Chawla ; Hd. Of Energy Sector Apollo TyresBE Tech. & MBA (Fin), PGDPM & PGDMM from Delhi University. Export Mgmt. from Oxford. Over 4decades of Experience in diversified sectors covering Energy including Solar & other Renewable Energy,(Ex. BHEL), Water Sector, Agriculture, Infrastructure.

Widely travelled in India & abroad including some Foreign Postings.National Jt. Secretary of IIPE Contact: [email protected] ; [email protected] 98107-08707

Written Papers on diversified subjects- (available on the web)Energy Sector Conventional, Renewable, opportunities in Climate Control,Indias Sustainable Green Growth of Rural Sector thru RenewablesZero Breakdown Maintenance in Steel Sector. Waste Management in Steel Plants

Approach to Zero Breakdown a Multi Management aspects challengeIron Ore Beneficiation; Waste Management; Irrigation Sector; Water SectorMaintenance Practices in Global Economic MeltdownCoal Quality a New Paradigm

Renewable Energy for Inclusive Growth Role of NGOs .etc.

Sustainable Development Role of Engineering Managers & Technologists

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