Learning Outcomes:
The module explicitly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supporting students in designing engineering solutions that address global sustainability priorities while remaining grounded in local and sector-specific contexts.
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Formulate a real-world sustainability challenge by analysing quantitative and qualitative data related to a product, process, or system.
2. Apply design thinking, systems thinking, and life-cycle thinking to develop an engineering-based sustainability solution.
3. Use appropriate mathematical modelling and sustainability assessment tools to evaluate and justify design decisions.
4. Design and communicate a technically feasible and sustainability-oriented solution through professional-quality written and oral outputs.
5. Work effectively in multidisciplinary teams, demonstrating project management, communication, initiative, and reflective practice.
Indicative Module Content:
Week 1: Introduction to the Sustainability Design Challenge
Module overview, expectations, assessment, introduction to sustainability challenges, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding framework, example challenge areas, team formation.
Week 2: Sustainability Concepts & Systems Thinking
Definitions of sustainability, systems boundaries, stocks and flows, leverage points, introduction to systems mapping.
Week 3: Design Thinking for Sustainability
Empathise–Define–Ideate–Prototype–Test framework; stakeholder analysis; problem framing for sustainability challenges.
Week 4: Life-Cycle Thinking & Circular Economy
Life-cycle stages, circular economy and circular bioeconomy concepts, introduction to LCA and screening-level assessment.
Week 5: Data, Modelling & Digital Tools for Sustainability
Use of public datasets, basic mathematical modelling, mass/energy balances, introduction to digital and data-driven sustainability tools.
Week 6: Challenge Definition & Project Scoping Workshop
Team-based workshop to finalise challenge definition, system boundaries, assumptions, and performance indicators.
Week 7: Concept Generation & Design Alternatives
Ideation techniques, comparison of design alternatives, feasibility screening, sustainability trade-offs.
Week 8: Prototyping for Sustainability
Conceptual, analytical, and low-fidelity prototyping; process flow diagrams; preliminary calculations; integration of sustainability metrics. Prototyping may include, where relevant, 3D-printed polymer components or conceptual CCUS elements integrated within broader environmental engineering systems (e.g. waste, water, or agri-food processes). Examples may include 3D-printed polymer components for sustainable applications and conceptual prototypes for water and wastewater management, waste management and circular bioeconomy, agri-food systems, sustainable materials, and nature-based or low-carbon solutions.
Week 9: Sustainability Assessment & Evaluation
LCA-lite, environmental indicators, carbon considerations, risk and uncertainty, validation of design choices.
Week 10: Implementation, Scalability & Policy Context
Implementation pathways, regulatory and policy constraints, scalability, stakeholder engagement, and real-world adoption.
Week 11: Communication & Professional Practice
Technical writing, visual communication, pitching sustainability solutions, professional and ethical considerations, use of AI tools, and effective teamwork practices in line with UCD and School-level guidelines. Week 12: Final Project Presentations & Reflection
Team presentations, peer feedback, reflection on design process, sustainability outcomes, and learning experience.