Approved by the Committee for Sustainability on October 19, 2020
Approved by the Energy, Environment, and Water Policy Committee on February 24, 2021
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on May 4, 2021
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 16, 2021
Policy
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recommends owners, both public and private, incorporate sustainability principles and practices in the development of infrastructure projects. ASCE supports the continued education and outreach to owners on the positive impacts and importance of sustainable infrastructure projects.
Issue
ASCE defines sustainability as a set of economic, environmental, and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life for future generations without degrading the quantity, quality, or the availability of economic, environmental, and social resources. Sustainable development is the process of applying these resources to enhance the public health, safety, welfare, and the quality of life for all of society and future generations without degrading the quantity, quality, or availability of economic, environmental, and social resources.
The ASCE Code of Ethics requires civil engineers adhere to the Principles of Sustainable Development in the performance of their professional duties. In addition, ASCE has policies that define sustainability and promote life-cycle cost analysis, and the civil engineer's role in advancing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. ASCE also recognizes the need for project owners to hold a similar standard, utilizing the engineers' expertise to provide sustainable solutions.
While engineers have a key role in planning, designing, building, and ensuring a sustainable future, project owners must provide leadership in initiation and development of sustainable and resilient projects. This leadership begins at project conception to ensure funding options consider the life-cycle cost of the proposed project and its alternatives.
Rationale
It is incumbent on public and private owners to raise their level of awareness and implementation of sustainability practices throughout the life cycle of the infrastructure to realize the value of incorporation to themselves, the local communities, and the overall public.
This policy has worldwide application
ASCE Policy Statement 556
First Approved in 2018