**Sustainable Engineering and Technologies**

Sustainable Development – 32 Energy, Engineering and Technologies – Manufacturing and Environment

Vestas (2005) "Life cycle assessment of offshore and onshore sited wind turbines" Vestas

**3** 

Armin Grunwald

*Germany* 

**Sustainability Assessment of Technologies** 

The vision of sustainable development must by definition include both long-term considerations and the global dimension (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987; Grunwald & Kopfmüller, 2006). Pursuing this vision implies that societal processes and structures should be re-orientated so as to ensure that the needs of future generations are taken into account and to enable current generations in the southern and northern hemispheres to develop in a manner that observes the issues of equity and participation. Since a feature inherent in the Leitbild of sustainable development is consideration of strategies for shaping current and future society according to its normative content, *guidance* is necessary and the ultimate aim of sustainability analyses, reflections, deliberations, and assessments. The latter should result, in the last consequence, in *knowledge for action*, and this knowledge should motivate, empower, and support "real" action,

Technology is of major importance for sustainable development (see Sec. 2). On the one hand, technology determines to a large extent the demand for raw materials and energy, needs for transport and infrastructure, mass flows of materials, emissions as well as amount and composition of waste. Technology is, on the other side, also a key factor of the innovation system and influences prosperity, consumption patterns, lifestyles, social relations, and cultural developments. The development, production, use, and disposal of technical products and systems have impacts on all dimensions of sustainable development. Therefore, a sustainability assessment of the development, use, and disposal of technologies

Technology Assessment (TA) has been developed since the 1960s as an approach first to explore possible unintended and negative side-effects of technology, to elaborate strategies for dealing with them and to provide policy advice (early warning, see Sec. 3). From the 1980s on the idea of *shaping technology* by early reflection on possible later impacts and consequences of technology was postulated (Bijker & Law, 1994). The adaptation of this social constructivist programme to TA was done within the approach of Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA, cp. Rip et al., 1995). Parallel to this development in the field of TA the Leitbild of sustainable development became a major issue in public debate and scientific research. Against this background it is not surprising that TA took up the

decision-making, and planning (von Schomberg, 2002).

is required as an element of comprehensive sustainability strategies.

**1. Introduction** 

*Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS),* 

**– An Integrative Approach** 

*Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe* 
