Humans stand at a unique point in the multibillion-year history of the Earth, able to choose now whether to proceed to environmental ruin and wide-scale suffering, or step back from the brink. The consequences of the choice will be seen in 30 years “We know enough now to see how our actions or lack of actions might shape the environment and the inhabitants of this extraordinary blue planet by 2032, The report is put together by more than 1,000 earth scientists and other experts from around the world. It examines changes to the planet’s chemical and biological systems over the past 30 years. It then looks ahead to possibilities 30 years hence It includes that, while humans for millenniums have feared “acts of God” such as deluge and drought, they now are vulnerable to much worse: “acts of man” played out through nature. The research is an archive of catastrophe caused by humans using the planet in ignorance of the damage their actions will cause. For example, about 15 percent of the Earth’s land cover – two billion hectares -is classed as degraded. That’s an area larger than the United States and Mexico together. Of that, about a sixth, 305 million hectares, is thought impossible to restore to health. About half the world’s rivers are polluted or seriously depleted. Eighty countries holding 40 per cent of the world’s population have serious water shortages. More than a billion people lack safe water. Nearly a third of the world’s fish stocks are damaged, partly because the world’s governments have encouraged too much fishing, subsidizing the industry by about $20-billion (U.S.) a year. The planet’s forested area has fallen by 2.4 per cent, 3.9 billion hectares, in the past decade alone. More than 50 million hectares of that was in Africa.
• source: Industry Progress Reports for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development • See also XlnkS470

The 22 reports cover the following industry sectors: Accounting, Advertising, Aluminium, Automotive, Aviation, Chemicals, Coal, Construction, Consulting engineering, Electricity, Fertilizer, Finance and insurance, Food and drink, Information & communications technology, Iron and steel, Oil and gas, Railways, Refrigeration, Road transport, Tourism, Waste management and Water management
• source: Industry Progress Reports for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development • See also XlnkS470

A system of monitoring Members’ performance with respect to sustainability will comprise a number of components. One important feature will be a Member survey, which may piggyback the existing member salary survey, or may take the form on an on-going online questionnaire posted to the APEGBC website. An external monitoring system will also include the activities of actual or potential partner professional groups, including AIBC etc…
• source: SMS – Monitoring • See also XlnkS46D

The Association will develop a number of practical indicators by which the progress of the organization towards enhancing sustainability can be measured. Once viable indicators have been agreed upon, a review will establish the current levels of these indicators, and, where possible, these will be compared to similar organizations that have undergone a similar exercise. Periodically, each indicator will be studied to ensure its continued suitability and value.
• source: SMS – Monitoring • See also XlnkS46D

As a relatively new consideration in professional practice, most genuine efforts to integrate sustainability principles into everyday work represent the state of the art. To ensure efforts are not to be unnecessarily duplicated and that the most is to be made of our combined new experience, APEGBC will facilitate a professional forum to exchange ideas amongst practitioners. The forum may make use of the APEGBC website, or take the form of community or professional meetings or workshops, the outcomes of which made available to those unable to attend.
• source: SMS – Communication • See also XlnkS46C

APEGBC is currently developing professional partnerships relating to sustainability both in BC and beyond. Members of the Architecture conmmunity (AIBC) and technologist (ASTT) are active members of the sustainability committee.
• source: SMS – Communication • See also XlnkS46C