Integrating Sustainability Into Major Projects

CHAPTER 10Design

Integrating sustainability into design activities is a fundamental part of developing more sustainable projects. Sustainability can and should be included in every stage of the design, from early concept and feasibility studies to detailed design activities. Sustainable design should also be considered by every design and engineering discipline, not just the environmental engineering or infrastructure departments where the impacts are more evident. Every department can look at their contribution to the project's environmental footprint, impacts along the supply chain, how designs can be adapted to support local employment and local supply, and how operations will impact the local community.

There are a number of initiatives and tools that the project design team can use to consider design alternatives and improve the sustainability of the project, including:

• Design basis document to capture sustainability goals and assumptions
• Design for the environment (DfE) and sustainable design
• Design for closure and progressive reclamation
• Safety in design
• Lifecycle analysis
• Options analysis and alternatives analysis to optimize water and energy use, waste management, carbon footprint, or community impacts
• Sustainable decision-making tools to evaluate trade-offs between technical, social, environmental, and financial performance
• Innovation processes to reduce impacts and create benefits across the project

Integrating sustainability into project design is an emerging concept. ...