Overview of Emerging Trends and Key Principles in Education for Sustainability

Engineers entering careers in the manufacturing sector, as well as current practitioners will increasingly be tasked with job functions that require an understanding of sustainable engineering principles and competency in set of sustainable engineering skills. Sustainable engineering includes the natural sciences, economics, finance, political science, the social sciences and the humanities. It concerns governments, corporations and consumers. Although these are not normally considered engineering topics, the effects of manufactured products and energy usage on society and the environment are increasing impacting engineering decision-making. Because of the numerous groups and constituencies involved, sustainability is a difficult concept to define. However, for engineers, professional competency in sustainability is becoming an important prerequisite for the production of economically viable products. This contribution will address some of the emerging trends in sustainability education, including the key concepts that define professional competency in engineering for sustainability.