MCN-201:

SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING
Module 3
 Module 3
Environmental management standards: ISO 14001:2015 frame
work and benefits

Scope and goal of Life Cycle Analysis(LCA),

Circular economy,
Bio-mimicking,
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA),
Industrial ecology and industrial symbiosis.
1. Environmental management standards: ISO 14001:2015
frame work and benefits
★ The international standard ISO 14001 provides the
standards for an efficient environmental management
system (EMS).
★ Rather than establishing environmental performance
requirements, it gives a framework for an organization to
follow.
★ An environmental management system is defined by the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as
"a component of a management system used to
manage environmental elements, meet compliance
duties, and address risks and opportunities."
★ The ISO 14001 framework can be used in connection with a
plan-do-check-act (PDCA) strategy to continuous
improvement.
 ISO 14001:2015
★ Any organization that wishes to build, upgrade, or
maintain an environmental management system in
accordance with its specified environmental policy and
standards should adopt ISO 14001:2015.

★ ISO 14001:2015 addresses the following environmental

management system topics:
○ Context of the organization
○ Leadership
○ Planning
○ Support
○ Operation
○ Performance evaluation
○ Improvement
ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Framework
 10 major areas of impact of the 2015 revision:

1. Expansion in EMS coverage and scope

2. Required interactions with external parties
3. New requirements for leadership engagement
4. Expanded legal compliance requirements
5. Need for risk-based planning and controls
6. New documentation requirements
7. Expanded operational control requirements
8. Changes in competence and awareness
requirements
9. Impacts on the internal audit program
10. Increased certification costs
 THE BENEFITS OF ISO 14001:2015
The use of ISO 14001:2015 has numerous advantages
for organizations using environmental management systems.

1. Improve resource efficiency

2. Reduce waste
3. Drive down costs
4. Provide assurance that environmental impact is being measured
5. Gain competitive advantage in supply chain design
6. Increase new business opportunities
7. Meet legal obligations
8. Increase stakeholder and customer trust
9. Improve overall environmental impact
10. Manage environmental obligations with consistency
 2. Scope and goal of Life Cycle Analysis(LCA)
★ Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that helps decision makers
and companies make decisions by looking at the effects of
a product's life and processes from the time it is made until
it is thrown away.
★ This includes the extraction of resources, production,
manufacture, transportation, use, and disposal.
Life cycle assessment consists of four phases:

1. Goal and scope definition

2. Life cycle inventory
3. Life cycle impact assessment
4. Interpretation

Goal and Scope Definition

★ 1st phase includes the goal and scope of the study and
defines the system under study, in terms of its
functional unit, system boundaries, hypotheses and data
requirement.
Life Cycle Inventory

★ 2nd phase is a life cycle inventory (LCI) which

involves data collection and modeling of the product
system.
★ In this phase, information about environmental inputs
(raw materials, chemicals, energy, etc.) and outputs
(air emissions, water emissions and waste) from all
parts of the product system is gathered.

Life Cycle Impact Assessment

★ Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) evaluates the

potential environmental impacts (such as global
warming, ozone depletion, smog,
eutrophication, ecotoxicity, acidification, etc.)
identified inputs and releases. associated with
★ There are mandatory and elements in the LCIA phase.
optional Mandatory elements
include
i) the selection of relevant environmental impact categories
(selection)

ii)the assignment of LCI results to the selected

impact categories (classification)

iii)the calculation of environmental impact

scores (characterization)

Interpretation

★ Interpretation leads to the conclusion whether the goal and scope was
met.
★ Interpretation of results helps to make an informed decision about
the environmental impacts of products and processes.
★ Conclusions, limitations and recommendations are given in this phase.
 3. Circular economy
★ A circular economy (CE) comprises sharing, leasing, reusing,
repairing, refurbishing, and recycling materials and products
as long as possible.
★ CE emphasizes design-based implementation of the model's
three main principles to address climate change, biodiversity
loss, waste, and pollution.
★ The circular economy requires eliminating waste and
pollution, rotating products and materials, and regenerating
nature. CE differs from linear economy.
★ CE is popular because it reduces emissions and raw material
consumption, opens new markets, and improves
consumption sustainability and resource efficiency.
Benefits?

★ Waste prevention, ecodesign, and re-use

might save the companies money and
lower greenhouse gas emissions.

★ circular economy might reduce environmental

impact, improve raw material security,
promote competitiveness, innovation,
economic growth, and job creation.
 4. Bio-mimicking
★ Biomimicry, which literally means "imitation of
life," aims to take inspiration from natural
selection solutions adopted by nature and
translate the principles to human engineering
★ The goal of the biomimicry approach is to favor
"choices" that nature has already tried and
tested over millions of years.
★ Biometrics-based designs will allow humans to
make things that are more efficient, durable,
and long-lasting.
 Examples of Biomimicry
1. Climbing pads capable of supporting
human weight are a mimic of the
biomechanics of gecko feet.

2. The aerodynamics of the famous Japanese

Bullet train was inspired by the shape of a
bird’s beak.

3. The first flying machine heavier than the

air from
the Wright brothers, in 1903, was inspired by
flying pigeons.
Examples of Biomimicry
4.Architecture is inspired by
termite mounds to design passive
cooling Structures.

5. Velcro is born from the observation of

the hooks implemented by some
plants for the propagation of their
seeds via animal’s coat.

6.The study of shark skin is at the origin

of particularly effective swimming suits.
 5. Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)

★ The EIA is a tool that helps in identifying the

environmental, economic & social impacts of a
project before decision-making.
★ It aims to forecast ecological impacts at an
initial stage during project planning & design,
identify methods to minimize negative
impacts,and outline projects to meet the local
environment.
Objectives of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)
Importances of Environment Impact Assessment
★ EIA links the environment and development so that
development is safe for the environment and lasts for a
long time.
★ EIA is a low-cost way to get rid of or lessen the bad
effects of development projects.
★ EIA allows decision-makers to examine the environmental
impact of development activities long before the project
is implemented.
★ EIA encourages the use of mitigation methods in the
development plan.
★ EIA makes sure that the plan for development is good for
the environment and doesn't go beyond what the ecosystem
can handle.
6.Industrial ecology and industrial symbiosis.
★ The study of the flows of materials and energy in
industrial and consumer activities, the effects of these
flows on the environment, and the influences of economic,
political, and social factors on the flow, use and
transformation of resources.
★ The primary goal of industrial ecology is to promote
sustainable development at the local, regional, national,
and global levels.
★ IE is a dynamic system-based framework that enables
management of human activity on a sustainable basis by:
○ Minimizing energy and materials usage
○ Ensuring acceptable quality of life for people
○ Minimizing the ecological impact of human activity to
levels natural system can sustain
○ Maintaining the economic viability of systems
industry
Industrial Symbiosis
★ Industrial symbiosis is the process by which
wastes or by‐products of an industry or
industrial process become the raw materials for
another.
★ Application of this concept allows materials to
be used in a more sustainable way and
contributes to the creation of a circular
economy.
★ It was first coined in 1989 to describe the
collaboration of businesses in Kalundborg
involves the physical exchange of materials,
energy, water, and by- products among several
organizations
Eco-industrial Park

- A community of manufacturing and service

businesses seeking enhanced environmental
and resource issues including energy,
water, materials, information, and natural
habitat.
Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park