by Fred Moavenzadeh

Sustainable development or sustainability is generally defined as a constraint on present consumption to ensure that future generations will inherit a resource base no less than the previous generation inherited. In meeting this goal, sustainability is concerned with two types of limits the environment imposes on growth or development - source limits and sink limits. Source limits refer to the environment's finite capacity to provide resources - renewable, nonrenewable, mere production inputs, and essential, nonsubstitutable "natural" services. Sink limits refer to the environment's capacity to assimilate the wastes caused by economic growth and development.

On the global level, sustainability is concerned with intergenerational equity, cross-boundary pollution, and environmental issues like climate change, ozone depletion, and the loss of biodiversity. On the national level, sustainability is a resource management and pollution control problem.

Although definitions of sustainability vary, there are some important common themes, such as placing a greater value on the environment, being concerned with both inter-and intragenerational equity, recognizing linkages between countries, finding synergies between the environment, development and business, and emphasizing efficiency and technological improvements.

Sustainability requires that we place greater value on the environment. The environment is important for economic growth as well as for improved quality of life. Some argue that since the emphasis in the past was on economic growth, the environment has been undervalued, and must of the overuse of the environment results from the environment not being properly valued.

In order to manage the environment is a sustainable way, all the various benefits of the environment must be accounted for. Sustainable development thus requires finding new ways to value the environment, account for the stock of natural assets, and incorporate in prices the cost of actions detrimental to the environment.

One important aspect of the sustainability paradigm is the focus on synergies between the environment and business. Some have argued that this mindset is just the business-as-usual "growth is good" model repackaged. However, for sustainable development not to be an oxymoron it must mean finding synergies between development, business, consumption, and the environment.

Many businesses have argued that good business in not contrary to sustainable development. There are a number of reasons why firms are finding that good environment means good business. The waste that firms produce reflects inefficiency. Reducing wastes can mean earning profits by lowering material and cleanup costs. Many believe that more and more companies are realizing that the pollution they produce is a sign of inefficiency, and that waste reflects raw materials not sold in final products. Firms can anticipate more regulations, so it is in their best interest to make pollution control decisions based on economics, before regulations control their processes.

Also, growing environmental concern among consumers means that positive environmental performance is essential to attain product loyalty. Consumers now have many different "environmental seals of approval" to look for. The most important one, ISO 14000, is finding a sympathetic reception from all lines of business.

Construction in particular has a unique role to play in sustainable development. On the one hand, being concerned with sustainable construction is both money saving and environmentally sound. On the other hand, assisting businesses to become less polluting and more considerate of the environment is an excellent business to be in. Many construction entities are looking at the environment as a profitable, socially responsible market opportunity.

We welcome your views on this and all issues critical to the business of construction.

Fred Moavenzadeh
Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board of CBR
Director, Henry L. Pierce Engineering Laboratory
Civil & Environmental Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology