Five Aspects Differentiating Traditional and Sustainable Approaches in Engineering

· Source of energy

As observed in recent automotive developments, car manufacturers in particular are increasingly implementing fully electric or hybrid system to their products to minimize the reliance on fossil fuels. The departure from optimizing internal combustion engines to rechargeable batteries is an example of sustainable oriented engineering that seeks to make use of renewable energy. 

· Impact on environment 

Extending the example of car manufacturers, the use of batteries as an alternative to fossil fuels are also driven by environmental awareness. There are arguments on how good electric cars are in leaving a lesser carbon footprint compared to their traditional counterparts. However, in the context of difference in approach, deploying batteries are mostly done in good faith (at least engineering-wise); to get rid of combustion harmful by-products. This is not the case in the traditional approach for engineering where optimizations are more often than not solely performed for the overall machinery/mechanism/etc. performance, consequently relegating environmental concerns to the back seat. 

· Social equality

Stripped down from extremities, the rise of feminism has provided a platform that amplifies the voice of women especially in the context of gender equality. Sustainability in social aspects is the new cog to the mechanism of sustainable engineering compared to traditional ones. Addressing social issues in the engineering roundtable is crucial for the betterment of society. This is in conjunction with UNESCO’s sustainable development goals. Ensuring equal opportunity to participate in engineering practices will result in an increase of social capital i.e. a more cohesive society for the future. 

· Economically-driven 

Sustainable engineering also takes into account economic variables in the practice of engineering. Research and developments are aimed towards improving efficiency, reducing costs and maximizing profit. An increase in gain can be used for other beneficial efforts, resulting in exponential improvement in terms of sustainability. 

· Future-oriented

Sustainable engineering, compared to traditional engineering are concerned with creating a better future. Where traditional engineering is limited by short-sighted goals, sustainable engineering plays the long game.