This document discusses using information technology systems to help make more sustainable and values-driven decisions that meet needs of the present without compromising the future. It references the three dimensions of sustainability and how IT can help measure impacts at different scales to inform decision making, with the goal of using knowledge to shape a better world. The author is a sustainability analyst from ARUP and provides his contact information and references further resources on their work.
a lot of people think its just about the environment. Actually, its about ensuring the prosperity of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow.You’d think its common sense, but as we all know our world isnt sustainable.
Commonly representated as a triangle. Finding the perfect balance between three dimensions. All important in their own right.Different people sit in different points, depending on their values or personal circumstances and experiences.
If you look at the business view, to the community city, national and international view, the balance dilemma remains the same.Where should Brisbane spend its money? Roads? Schools?
Why is it important to know where we and our leaders sit on this triangle? Well because the triangle can be thought of as a lens, through which we project our values and intent in the form of decisions. Whether we like it or not, these decisions have a direct impact us through products, services and the shape of our cities.
So I work for a firm called Arup. is a design-engineering firm with about 10,000 employees worldwide. our mission statement “we shape a better world”. What that means is that sustainability is core to our business. We are not an NGO or an academic body but an employee owned trust which allows us to behave in this manner.
Within Arup, I work in an amazing team called the sustainability team. As you can see, sustainability is a REALLY REALLY broad issue. Thankfully, my team includes people from a really diverse range of disciples , all sharing a passion for delivering sustainability to our clients, IN THE BEST WAY THEY KNOW HOW.For me, that means applying IT and systems thinking.
In doing so we are able to help our clients make more rational informed decisions.
How do you make decisions if you have no idea how you are performing?This information system takes a range of activity data, provides checks and balances and serves the information in a more meaningful way.
So far what I’ve shown you takes us this far. IT is great for that.Left- this side is the foundationBut here is the dilemma, how do we turn knowledge into action? How do we trigger an emotional response that leads to change?
