MEM601 Engineering Sustainability Report Sample
Assessment brief
Task Summary
Research and answer questions by describing in 1,200 words (+/–10%) the barriers and enablers to engineering sustainability in an engineering organisation. Identify and recommend appropriate practices that will allow management to strengthen the enablers and reduce the barriers.
Please refer to the Task Instructions (below) for details on how to complete this task.
This assessment provides you with insights that you can apply to your organisation to facilitate the effective implementation of an engineering sustainability strategy. To complete this assessment successfully, you need to understand the important enablers and barriers to sustainability in engineering organisations and appropriate ethical management plans and actions that can be implemented to enhance, minimise or eliminate enablers and barriers.
Task Instructions
To complete this assessment, you need to research, describe and answer the following questions:
1. Which engineering or technical organisation have you chosen? Briefly describe the organisation and its engineering sustainability practices.
2. What barriers and enablers exist to engineering sustainability in your selected organisation? Briefly describe the barriers and enablers to the organisation’s sustainability.
3. What practices does your organisation need to adopt to strengthen the enablers and reduce/eliminate the barriers? Recommend practices that the organisation can adopt to improve its engineering sustainability practices in an ethical manner.
You should prepare for and approach this task by reviewing the content and readings provided in ‘Module 2: Managing Sustainability in Engineering Organisations/Functions’ and conducting original research of publicly available information.
In structuring the report, please use the following headings as a guide:
1. Introduction
Background information
(Description of the organisation that you have chosen)
(Description of the sustainability practices of that organisation)
2. Sustainability practices in the chosen organisation
2.1 Barriers to sustainability
2.2 Enablers to sustainability
3. Recommendations
(Solutions with sub-headings as necessary)
4. Conclusions
5. References
6. Appendices
This assessment is relevant to the following subject learning outcomes (SLOs):
a) Critically analyse the importance and challenges of ethics and sustainability in the economy and organisations reflecting on the roles of key sustainability stakeholders; and
b) Investigate, analyse and evaluate the challenges associated with sustainably and ethically managing an engineering organisation’s strategy and functions, as well as the management capabilities required.
Referencing
It is essential that you use APA style to cite and reference your research.
Solution
1. Introduction
1.1 Background Information
Since its founding in 2008, Promec Engineering, a civil engineering organization, has developed into a specialist high-pressure pipe construction company that can supply complete projects that include the required mechanical, electrical, and civil components. With our highly skilled and knowledgeable staff, they mainly serve the oil, gas, water, and power-producing sectors. Due to their vast workshop capacity, we can finish fabricated and welded sections up to 30 meters in length in compliance with all major industrial procedures and requirements.
Sustainability lies at the heart of ethical civil engineering. Although improving human well-being is by definition the aim of civil engineers' work, they also must minimize the environmental impact of their work for the benefit of future generations.
Because of this, every civil engineering project has to have sustainability as its main objective. How can the solution be implemented in a way that reduces the amount of energy, resources, emissions of pollutants, waste creation, etc.?
Through the integration of the core principles of sustainable design with all of Promec's engineering know-how, technical know-how, and knowledge, the company hopes to be able to produce project proposals that demonstrate an integrated approach to delivering engineering solutions for university assignment help.
2. Sustainability practices in the chosen organization
The fundamental elements of sustainable engineering are waste management, collaboration, environmental preservation, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable materials. Promec Engineering has several moral issues, such as societal worries about The increasing strain to develop infrastructure that meets social demands on civil engineers coming from urbanization, industrialization, and population growth. Because technology is developing so fast, civil engineers need to stay informed and up-to-date to make moral judgments that are good for society and the environment (Chance et. al., 2021, p. 94). Professional ethics, which require continual development and training, are essential to resolving these ethical dilemmas.
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Fig: Concept of enablers and barriers in sustainable practices
(Source: Ehsan Soroosh-nia, MGT 601, 2024, T1, p. 12)
2.1 Barriers to Sustainability
Promec Engineering faces several obstacles in preserving the long-term viability of civil engineering. It's possible that those involved in sustainability practices are unaware of the advantages of applying sustainable methods in civil engineering. It's likely that people may become apathetic about or resistant to long-term remedies as a result of this misleading information. Some may argue that sustainability measures are overly costly, despite the expected long-term advantages. When there is opposition to trade, things get much more difficult since it might be difficult to adopt more balanced and sustainable habits because of ingrained norms. scarcity of resources leading to financial and supply issues (Mohamed et. al., 2020, p. 6). Packages for sustainability provide the option to prioritize internal projects above financial matters. Raise the number of obstacles by claiming that because environmental laws are always changing, they must be revised. Initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability may suffer from businesses' widespread tendency to give priority to short-term profits over long-term ones. While the market's idea of sustainability does something similar, it is sometimes considered an afterthought rather than an essential component of civil engineering.
2.2 Enablers of Sustainability
Promec Engineering is aware of how critical sustainability is to the long-term economic and social well-being of the civil engineering sector. To ensure the sustainability of our activities, we are aware of the following critical enablers:
? Leadership Commitment: Promec's leadership is dedicated to integrating sustainability into all facets of our business operations, and they do so by riding a road of responsibility and innovation.
? Clear Sustainability Strategy: A well-defined sustainability plan guides decision-making at all levels by optimisation, offering a roadmap for balancing corporate aims with social and environmental objectives (Mei, and Wang, 2021, p. 2).
? Employee Engagement: Promec fosters a climate in which staff members feel empowered to make suggestions, take part in environmental projects, and have access to the required resources and training.
? Technological Advancements: Promec makes investments in cutting-edge technologies that improve assignment performance, reduce environmental impact, and support sustainable practices at some point throughout the project lifespan.
? Regulatory Compliance: By following local, state, and federal regulations, reducing risks, and maintaining stakeholder confidence, Promec maintains ethical and conscientious business practices.
? Stakeholder Engagement: Promec maintains open lines of communication with agencies, partners, and clients to learn about their issues, solicit their opinions, and create win-win solutions.
? Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Promec offers thorough LCAs that assist in informed layout choices and optimize resource use by evaluating how projects will impact the environment from beginning to end.
? Supply Chain Sustainability: Promec works closely with suppliers to guarantee sustainable practices, cut waste, and assure ethical sourcing—all of which contribute to the development of an easy-to-manage and transparent supply chain.
Promec Engineering has to strike a compromise between the necessity for sustainable infrastructure in the face of technical breakthroughs and the ethical expectations of a fast-urbanizing society. The lack of ethical expertise among participants, concerns about expenses, the dearth of resources, and regulatory obstacles are important sources of stress (Burgess, 2020, p. 263). To overcome such difficult situations and promote sustainable habits, enablers including staff collaboration, technology improvements, management commitment, and a clean sustainability strategy may be put into place. In addition to completing professional ethics training, stakeholder involvement, strategic planning, and barrier-breaking are necessary for successfully managing sustainability.
3. Recommendations
The recommended sustainable practices that need to be adopted to improve engineering sustainability practices ethically are:
? CEO's Commitment to Sustainability: The CEO of Promec Engineering may show how personally committed they are to integrating sustainability into the business's operations and way of life by actively participating in sustainability initiatives. By adopting sustainable practices, prioritizing sustainability-related matters at board meetings, and contributing money to sustainability initiatives, the CEO may lead by example.
? A Well-Defined Sustainability Strategy: Make a comprehensive sustainability strategy that satisfies the organization's core values, enterprise corporate goals, and stakeholder expectations (Wolniak, 2022, p. 580). Involve significant stakeholders in the plan's development, set measurable objectives for sustainability, and offer systems for monitoring and communicating results.
? Promoting Sustainable Goods and Services: In your marketing campaigns, highlight the company's dedication to sustainability as well as the benefits that its products and services offer to the local community and environment. Obtain certifications or endorsements from prestigious sustainability associations, include a sustainability theme in advertising campaigns, and showcase eco-friendly projects on social media.
? Building Long-Term Capabilities and Roles: Create specialist roles inside the organization with an emphasis on sustainability, tasked with overseeing and implementing sustainability initiatives. Hire sustainability experts who understand how to properly dispose of trash, purchase sustainable products, and protect the environment. Provide opportunities for learning and development for current employees so they may advance their skills and knowledge in sustainability.
? Publication of Sustainability Reviews: Establish transparent and honest sustainability reporting systems to inform numerous stakeholders about the agency's overall environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Produce annual sustainability reports by global reporting standards and the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) guiding principles (Guimarães, et. al., 2021, p. 4). Share these critiques with consumers, buyers, activists, and the general public through the company website, social media platforms, and corporate communications.
? Proactive Market Influence: Integrate sustainability into product creation, supply chain management, and customer loyalty, among other areas of business operations. collaborating to influence legislative choices and recommend sustainable practices with corporate partners, non-earnings, and government organizations. Use sustainable practices, such as renewable energy sources, environmentally friendly transportation, and sustainable infrastructure, to anticipate and meet societal needs beforehand.
4. Conclusions
To sum up, Promec Engineering acknowledges that to satisfy societal expectations and solve environmental issues, sustainability is critical to civil engineering. By embracing enablers like leadership dedication, the smooth sustainability method, and stakeholder engagement, as well as cautious practices like CEO involvement, selling sustainable merchandise, and proactive marketplace influence, Promec can break through barriers and move forward toward an engineering future that is more ethically and sustainably driven.
5. References
Burgess, A., Cappelen, H., & Plunkett, D. (2020). p. 263. Conceptual engineering and conceptual ethics (p. 474). Oxford University Press. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/61232/9780198801856.pdf?sequence=1
Chance, S., Lawlor, R., Direito, I., & Mitchell, J. (2021). p. 94. Above and beyond: ethics and responsibility in civil engineering. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 26(1), 93-116. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/22054952.2021.1942767
Ehsan Soroosh-nia, (2024). MGT 601, T1, Engineering Sustainability, Module 2.1, p12
Guimarães, A. S., Delgado, J. M., & Lucas, S. S. (2021). p. 4. Advanced manufacturing in civil engineering. Energies, 14(15), 4474. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/15/4474
Mei, L., & Wang, Q. (2021). p. 2. Structural optimization in civil engineering: a literature review. Buildings, 11(2), 66. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/66
Mohamed, A. M. O., Paleologos, E. K., & Howari, F. (Eds.). (2020). p. 6. Pollution assessment for sustainable practices in applied sciences and engineering. Butterworth-Heinemann. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=G5DhDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Pollution+assessment+in+civil+engineering.+&ots=JB
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Wolniak, R. (2022). p 580. Engineering ethics-main principles. Zeszyty Naukowe. Organizacja i Zarz?dzanie/Politechnika ?l?ska. https://yadda.icm.edu.pl/baztech/element/bwmeta1.element.baztech-a82cab98-aac9-4bf1-afa5-59696c0f4d52/c/Wolniak-1.pdf
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