Abstract

Material and energy resources of the world are dwindling, coupled with rapid environmental and ecological degradation. Renewability and sustainability have become critical issues. Sustainable engineering involves enhancing the design of products, systems, and services to achieve superior environmental and social performance while ensuring economic feasibility. The challenge lies in transforming this broad concept into a robust educational framework with well-defined methods, tools, and metrics for integration into engineering curricula and professional practice. To incorporate sustainability into their curricula, some institutions have experimented with problem-based and project-based learning (PPBL) as a tool. The premise is that use of PPBL promotes cooperative learning, critical thinking, systemic reasoning, creativity, and societal awareness, all key aspects of sustainability. However, developing a practical curriculum presents challenges, including establishing suitable physical learning environments, revising instructional methods and assessment norms, ensuring foundational PPBL knowledge for educators and students, securing institutional support, and more. One specific challenge is deciding whether to create a dedicated course on sustainable engineering or to integrate modules on environmental engineering, green engineering, pollution prevention, waste minimization, and design for the environment within existing courses.

The first section of this paper introduces key issues in sustainable development and engineering, the intersection of sustainable, renewable, and recyclable concepts, education for sustainable development, and pedagogy for sustainability. The second section outlines the ongoing efforts to incorporate sustainability content in the Mechanical Engineering program at our university, detailing a roadmap for curriculum development and providing examples from courses in the Applied Mechanics and Design, and Materials and Manufacturing streams. The final section touches upon significant challenges in sustainability education, including the practice of sustainability in academia, policy-making challenges, content overload, cultural considerations, and the nuanced distinction between environmental protection and sustainability.