According to the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), of which ASCE is a founding member, Sustainability is a set of environmental, economic and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely, that is, without degrading the quantity, quality or the availability of natural resources and ecosystems. Many indicators suggest natural resources are being depleted faster than the world's ecosystems can replenish them and waste streams are already exceeding the capacity of natural bio-systems. This condition is expected to worsen as the world's population increases and becomes more affluent and it will lead to severe degradation of the environment and quality of life unless trends are reversed. In addition, future meteorological and geological events (including sea level rise) will continue to tax society with the high cost of disaster assistance unless more resiliency is built into our infrastructure systems. The infrastructure for 2050 and beyond is being designed and built today. Sustainability has been part of ASCE’s Code of Ethics and policy statements for many years, and is a key component in ASCE’s most recent strategic planning document, Vision 2025. As a leading section of ASCE, BSCES advocates for sustainable infrastructure to ensure we protect the “triple bottom line”, environmental, economic and social conditions in Massachusetts. Check out the ASCE website for more information on sustainability.
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