Embedding sustainability in requirements capture at the design stage

Technology has advanced the way societies work and live and will continue to do so. As engineers who develop these technological advancements, we carry a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future and to minimize technology’s negative impact on the available natural resources. This article reflects on how sustainability considerations should be integrated upfront in the requirements specifications that inform the design of engineering solutions. A pathway approach is proposed, and a number of case studies are reviewed across engineering industries. The cases use various approaches such as footprint estimations, sustainability criteria, planetary boundary limitations and just transitions. The reflection identifies the current practices used to integrate sustainability into solution delivery, as well as considers what lessons can be taken from these cases to accelerate the change towards a reduced impact on natural resources and design for sustainability.