Leveraging Sustainable Value Creation Through the Principles of Sustainable Engineering

. Industrial and technological revolutions have always changed the way companies create value. More recently, sustainability has become a source of inspiration and innovation and most organizations start redesigning their business models based on sustainability concepts. Sustainable practices have become critical issues for industrial engineering, dealing with technological and management principles. Engineering is a major driver of sustainable development by connecting social needs and environmental priorities with appropriate technologies and management practices. According to UNESCO sustainable engineering is about designing and operating daily systems so that the energy and resources they use are sustainable - that is, they are used at a rate that safe-guards the availability of natural resources for future needs. The literature on the subject is mostly dedicated to technical and design aspects of engineering principles integrating sustainability concepts. Works on how sustainable engineering principles impact sustainable value creation are scarce. Exploring the concepts and the main principles of sustainable value and sustainable engineering, this paper shed light on supporting organizations operationalizing the transition toward business models which are environmentally, socially, and ﬁnan-cially sustainable. This work aims to provide a conceptual framework setting out how sustainable engineering principles can provide a thinking guide to connect corporate sustainable value creation drivers and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).


Introduction
As businesses cope with new challenges beyond profitability, more important is to harmonize the economy with the environment, managing properly the trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection. All economic theories -orthodox and heterodox, classical, or neoclassical -agree that politics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, international relations, and other aspects of society affect the economy and the way scarce resources are used. Thirty years back, many agree that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. With the emergence of global environmental problems as a topic in the 2 Wealth, Value, and Sustainable Competitive Advantage Some studies [2,3] show that the analysis of the meaning of wealth, and the concept of value, reveals terminological complexity and has been subject to much confusion as they are used in the scope of several disciplines (economics, marketing, psychology, philosophy, sociology). For many, the concept of wealth is a physical one, involving money, material things, or external resources. Others view wealth as health, time, emotional happiness, or spiritual growth. The measurement of wealth has also varied over time and among cultures. So, wealth means different things to different people. Sometimes used interchangeably, both concepts are said to be ambiguous as they connote different meanings, classifications, and theories. Since 1776, with the work of [4] in his generally referred publication of The Wealth of Nations, the real purpose of economic science is to investigate the nature and the laws of wealth. According to [5] p.2, "nothing can be more fundamental in economic science than the conception of wealth". Although [6] p.4 advocates in his Principles of Political Economy that "everyone has a notion sufficiently correct for common purposes of what is meant by wealth", [7] p.616 advises that "economic writers, from Adam Smith down, have not had a notion of wealth sufficiently definite for scientific purposes". Throughout history, the debate around the theories of value has concentrated on price, labor, and utility. More recently, [8] p.iv claimed that "we need a new economic order for the 21st century. This new economic order must be geared to the real needs of people and the Earth". The author proposes a new path for economic development where the term wealth must harmonize economy with ecology, although economy and ecology are sometimes presented to have conflicting interests with each other.
In economic theory, wealth means an abundance of items of economic value or the state of controlling or possessing such items. Net worth is the most common measure of wealth, and it is calculated by adding up all the assets and subtracting all the liabilities. From a business perspective, value creation is the primary goal and the essential base to support a profitable and lasting business [9,10]. In addition, [11] p.870 defends that there is a widely accepted view of the central importance of social welfare in management research, with the argument that "the advancement of social welfare, through wealth creation, is the defining function of a business in a market capitalist system".
The notion of value in strategic management is normally linked to the concept of sustainable competitive advantage [12]. Understanding competitive advantage requires an analysis of its components. The advantage is a relative concept that highlights a comparison to another entity or a set of entities [13]. Another component of the sustainable competitive advantage refers to its sustainability. When is a competitive advantage sustainable? Sustainability does not refer to a specific period, much less confidence that it will persist indefinitely. Rather it depends on the possibility of replication by the firm's competitors. The harder it is to imitate such an advantage will be more sustainable in the future. According to [14] a sustainable competitive advantage exists if three conditions are applied: i) Customers must understand/perceive a consistent difference in important attributes of the firm's products/services when compared with those attributes offered by competitors; ii) This difference is the direct consequence of a capability gap between the firm and its competitors; iii) Both the difference in important attributes and the capability gap can be expected to endure over time. In such conditions, competitive advantage is the firm's ability to outperform its industry, i.e. to earn a higher rate of profit than that of the industry. In this case, the sources of sustainability revolve around the organization's internal environment.
From the study above, we may say that traditionally, value creation is understood as a capacity to, internally, organizations configure resources and competencies to increase profits or improve the image. However, recently the focus has moved increasingly toward environmental and social value elements expanding the concept of value creation, as illustrated in figure 1.
As mentioned by [15], from the sustainability perspective, value creation means more than just the realization of economic value and the value delivered to the customer (i.e. the customer perceived benefits such as functionality, convenience, and well-being). Sustainable value refers to economic, social, and environmental impacts created by the company and its value network and perceived by multiple stakeholders. According to [16] in a business context, sustainable value is created when value is generated for shareholders as well as  all other stakeholders simultaneously. Creating sustainable value would improve efficiency, further brand value, attract top talent, and strengthen stakeholder management.

Sustainable Value Creation
Value creation is a challenging task, especially these days when the business environment is volatile and uncertain. Traditionally, organizations focus on providing goods and services that meet customer demands and can be traded at competitive prices. But in a world where resources have become limited, it is imperative that organizations rethink production and consumption patterns to generate sustainable development. Organizations today are challenged to contribute to sustainable development on the individual, organizational, and societal levels. Several studies [17][18][19] reveal that companies are making a shift towards embedding sustainability decisions into the core strategy to drive value and thereby achieve a competitive advantage. The studies demonstrate the impact of sustainable practices on factors such as business profitability, business risk, product and service quality and safety, labor, employees, and other factors [20][21][22][23]. The literature shows [24] that sustainable value creation can significantly contribute to the deceleration of climate change and the reduction of negative economic impacts. There is evidence, from several case studies [25], about how innovative responses to environmental constraints saved firms money. Sustainable development can be analyzed at both the macro and microeconomic levels, and it seems that there is a direct relationship between sustainable micro and macroeconomic development [26]. It is not possible to prepare a sustainable world and speak about sustainable development without sustainable organizations. So, it is vital that organizations adopt strategies and practices that meet the needs of stakeholders and society, supporting, protecting, and improving the human and natural resources that will be needed for future generations [27]. To enhance value creation, it is important to identify the value drivers and understand how they can lead to sustainable value, aligned with sustainable development.
From the perspective of sustainability, sustainable value creation, at the micro level, can be divided into three dimensions: i) Economic sustainable value, the ability of an organization to generate income and employment on a sustainable basis, ensuring profitable business,

Sustainable Development and Sustainable Engineering Principles
Sustainable development was first introduced by the United Nations Commission [28] in the book Our Common Future, suggesting that development should pursue in a way that respects both human needs and global ecosystems, assuring the quality of life for future generations. Since the industrial era, energy consumption is too high, resource consumption is excessive, the emissions of industrial waste are excessive, the ecological environment is deteriorating, and the sustainability of the economy and social development become serious concerns. Not surprisingly it is widely accepted that sustainable development promotes prosperity and economic opportunity, greater social well-being, and protection of the environment. Many advances have been made but much more remains to be done. It is also commonly understood that the realization of these benefits can only be achieved through holistic international cooperation [29]. Sustainability calls for a systematic and global approach to minimize resource consumption, decarbonize energy, minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and encourage recyclability and reuse of materials. Many different sets of principles relating to sustainable development have been proposed over the years.
Sustainable Engineering means the incorporation of sustainability purposes into products, services, processes, and technology systems by integrating environmental, economic, and social principles in system designs and operations. It's all about designing and operating daily systems in such a way that the energy and resources that they use are sustainable -that is, they are used at a rate that doesn't compromise the natural environment and their ability to be used by future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability constitutes a particular concern in the engineering field because of: i) the large portion of the earthś resources used in engineering projects, including raw materials, energy, water, and carbon; ii) the wastes produced throughout the projects; iii) the harmful emissions and noise pollution, often stem from vehicles and machinery; iv) the pollutants that can contaminate the air and water, derived from waste management; v) the long-lasting global impact derived from local engineering projects.
The multidisciplinary field of Engineering is the bridge between economy and sustainability, providing an interface between the design -for instance, the idea of how to provide a sustainable solution to a technical problem -, and implementation and production. Engineers are the builders of the foundations of

Sustainable Development and Sustainable Engineering Principles
Sustainable development was first introduced by the United Nations Commission [28] in the book Our Common Future, suggesting that development should pursue in a way that respects both human needs and global ecosystems, assuring the quality of life for future generations. Since the industrial era, energy consumption is too high, resource consumption is excessive, the emissions of industrial waste are excessive, the ecological environment is deteriorating, and the sustainability of the economy and social development become serious concerns. Not surprisingly it is widely accepted that sustainable development promotes prosperity and economic opportunity, greater social well-being, and protection of the environment. Many advances have been made but much more remains to be done. It is also commonly understood that the realization of these benefits can only be achieved through holistic international cooperation [29]. Sustainability calls for a systematic and global approach to minimize resource consumption, decarbonize energy, minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and encourage recyclability and reuse of materials. Many different sets of principles relating to sustainable development have been proposed over the years.
Sustainable Engineering means the incorporation of sustainability purposes into products, services, processes, and technology systems by integrating environmental, economic, and social principles in system designs and operations. It's all about designing and operating daily systems in such a way that the energy and resources that they use are sustainablethat is, they are used at a rate that doesn't compromise the natural environment and their ability to be used by future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability constitutes a particular concern in the engineering field because of: i) the large portion of the earth's resources used in engineering projects, including raw materials, energy, water, and carbon; ii) the wastes produced throughout the projects; iii) the harmful emissions and noise pollution, often stem from vehicles and machinery; iv) the pollutants that can contaminate the air and water, derived from waste management; v) the long-lasting global impact derived from local engineering projects.
The multidisciplinary field of Engineering is the bridge between economy and sustainability, providing an interface between the design -for instance, the idea of how to provide a sustainable solution to a technical problem -, and implementation and production. Engineers are the builders of the foundations of sustainability as they should have in mind to keep the safety, health, and welfare of the community, while, at the same time, improving efficiency and reducing the use of materials and energy. Several researchers in the field of engineering [30,31] have proposed a list of sustainable engineering principles, while many national engineering organizations (Engineering Council in the UK; World Federation of Engineering Organizations; Order of Engineers in several countries; European Federation of National Engineering Associations, among many) have been adopting and updating a list of sustainable development orientations.
In the engineering field, national and international organizations have established a set of principles based on sustainable development guidance that aims to encourage all those working in engineering to adopt sustainability thinking in their practice. Such guidelines describe the role of engineering professionals in enabling society to live sustainably. For instance, the Engineering Council in the UK establishes five basic principles grounded in sustainability, such as 1. Contribute to building a sustainable society, present, and future; 2. Apply professional and responsible judgment and take a leadership role in sustainability; 3. Do more than just comply with legislation and codes: be prepared to challenge the status quo; Use resources efficiently and effectively; 4. Seek multiple views to solve sustainability challenges; 5. Manage risk to minimize adverse impact and maximize the benefit to people and the environment [32].
In the same vein, a list of nine basic principles of sustainable engineering is presented by [33]: 1. Using system analysis holistically in engineering processes and products, integrating environmental impact assessment tools. 2. Conserving and improving natural ecosystems while protecting human health and well-being. 3. Use life cycle thinking in all engineering activities. 4. Using only material and energy inputs and outputs that are clean and benign for humans and the planet. 5. Minimizing the depletion of natural resources. 6. Preventing waste. 7. Developing and applying engineering solutions bearing in mind geographic areas and cultures. 8. Creating innovation-based solutions. 9. Engaging all stakeholders and communities in engineering problem-solving solutions.
Multiple attempts have emerged from academic and industrial institutions to formulate sustainable engineering principles. All of them fall within the TBL respecting environment, social, and economic values as cornerstones, aiming at providing, developing, and implementing balanced solutions to any engineering problem, as presented in figure 3.

Driving Engineering Principles to Advance SDG Implementation
Engineering has a key role to play in the achievement of all 17 goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), -from health, well-being, and social and economic prosperity to climate and ecosystems. Every one of the goals requires solutions rooted in science, technology, and engineering. The crisis demonstrates the interdependency and interlinkages among the various dimensions of sustainability. Addressing sustainable development within the challenges Durable, inclusive, and sustainable growth.

User-Centric approach to innovation and development
Understanding of the specific needs of people, consumers, and general users of engineering solutions.

Environmental-Centric approach to the health of the planet
Universal access to green sources of energy, clean water, sanitation, and public services to satisfy basic needs for all.

Figure 3. Sustainable engineering principles
(SDGs),from health, well-being, and social and economic prosperity to climate and ecosystems. Every one of the goals requires solutions rooted in science, technology, and engineering. The crisis demonstrates the interdependency and interlinkages among the various dimensions of sustainability. Addressing sustainable development within the challenges of climate change, population growth, and urbanization requires innovative engineering and technology-based solutions [34]. However, as observed in the literature review, the movement of industrial development toward sustainability requires important changes that range from behavior to technology [35]. These changes must be considered from a holistic perspective. Building on the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The seventeen ambitious goals, which are intended to be reached by 2030, balance the economic, social, and environmental pillars of sustainable development and can be organized around five dimensions (the 5 Ps), as depicted in Figure 4. Planet: protecting the environment while ensuring the sustainable use and management of natural resources; People: ending poverty and hunger and ensuring that all human beings can lead fulfilling lives in a healthy and dignified environment; Prosperity: ensuring environmentally sustainable economic growth, mutual prosperity, and decent work for all; Partnership: strengthening global solidarity to address inequalities within and between countries, by focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable; Peace: building societies that are peaceful, just, and inclusive, and in which human rights and gender inequality are respected.
Through 17 goals, the 193 countries of the 2030 Agenda, work towards poverty elimination in all its dimensions and promote sustainable development to protect and preserve the planet. More specifically, the SDGs focus on issues related to economic growth, social equality, and preservation of the environment, including poverty, health and education, equality, water, and energy availability, employment, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, urbanization, production and consumption patterns, social and gender equality, justice, and peace. All the Goals are interconnected, with an impact on one affecting many of the others. For instance, actions to promote and implement gender equality (SDG5) can make an important contribution to progress across other SDGs such as on health care services (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), water and sanitation (SDG 6), productive employment and decent work (SDG 8), infrastructure and industrialization (SDG 9), and strengthening the global partnership (SDG 17). Or even, progresses in SDG 6 will improve health (SDG3) and improve school attendance, both of which contribute to alleviating poverty (SDG1).

Towards Developing an Integrative Framework of Sustainable Value Creation and Sustainable Engineering Principles
Drawing on the literature review, it is proposed an integrative theoretical framework as a reference guide that relates sustainable value drivers at the microeconomic level -aligned with the SDGs at the macro perspective -and sustainable engineering principles that can help to support global sustainable development. Conceptual frameworks are mental representations that order practical approaches in ways that enable

Planet
People Prosperity Partnership Peace Figure 4. Sustainable development goals, organized around five dimensions of climate change, population growth, and urbanization requires innovative engineering and technology-based solutions [34]. However, as observed in the literature review, the movement of industrial development toward sustainability requires important changes that range from behavior to technology [35]. These changes must be considered from a holistic perspective.
Building on the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The seventeen ambitious goals, which are intended to be reached by 2030, balance the economic, social, and environmental pillars of sustainable development and can be organized around five dimensions (the 5 Ps), as depicted in figure 4. Planet: protecting the environment while ensuring the sustainable use and management of natural resources; People: ending poverty and hunger and ensuring that all human beings can lead fulfilling lives in a healthy and dignified environment; Prosperity: ensuring environmentally sustainable economic growth, mutual prosperity, and decent work for all; Partnership: strengthening global solidarity to address inequalities within and between countries, by focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable; Peace: building societies that are peaceful, just, and inclusive, and in which human rights and gender inequality are respected.
Through 17 goals, the 193 countries of the 2030 Agenda, work towards poverty elimination in all its dimensions and promote sustainable development to protect and preserve the planet. More specifically, the SDGs focus on issues related to economic growth, social equality, and preservation of the environment, including poverty, health and education, equality, water, and energy availability, employment, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, urbanization, production and consumption patterns, social and gender equality, justice, and peace.
All the Goals are interconnected, with an impact on one affecting many of the others. For instance, actions to promote and implement gender equality (SDG5) can make an important contribution to progress across other SDGs such as on health care services (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), water and sanitation (SDG 6), productive employment and decent work (SDG 8), infrastructure and industrialization (SDG 9), and strengthening the global partnership (SDG 17). Or even, progresses in SDG 6 will improve health (SDG3) and improve school attendance, both of which contribute to alleviating poverty (SDG1).

Towards Developing an Integrative Framework of Sustainable Value Creation and Sustainable Engineering Principles
Drawing on the literature review, it is proposed an integrative theoretical framework as a reference guide that relates sustainable value drivers at the microeconomic level -aligned with the SDGs at the macro perspective -and sustainable engineering principles that can help to support global sustainable development. Conceptual frameworks are mental representations that order practical approaches in ways that enable us to comprehend it. Given the interdependency and interlinkages among the SDGs, trade-offs, and synergies with negative and positive correlations require cross-engineering principles. Instead of establishing sustainable engineering principles separately for supporting the achievement of each goal individually, we argue that the set of values defined in Table 1 should be understood as a guide that engineers could use as a reference point and a code of ethics. The value creation process is about how organizations create value for their stakeholders in order to grow and sustain their business. Sustainable value creation has the overarching societal goal of ensuring "development that meets the needs of the present while safeguarding Earth's life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends" [36]. The key principle of sustainable development is the integration of environmental, social, and economic concerns into all aspects of decision-making. Sustainable engineering principles emerge as a paradigm in which organizations can produce goods and services, meeting societal needs with minimal impact on the global ecosystem.
The framework defines the philosophy behind the organization's strategic decisions for sustainable value creation. The principles provide managers with a set of concepts that can be used when selecting the drivers in the value-creation process. This framework could be used to examine the organization's positioning toward sustainable development and sustainable value creation, and into their development strategies and action plans to achieve SDGs by 2030. It is feasible for any organization's operations. A step forward is the need for understanding how the SDGs might be operationalized and how to track performance in the three dimensions of Sustainable Development and to enable organizations to develop strategies to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
This article contributes to raising awareness of how sustainable engineering principles are at the heart of global sustainable development by integrating the SDGs into the organization systems. The framework aims to come up with ongoing efforts to guide organizations to understand the nature of interlinkages between the different targets of the SDGs. Organizations have the means to make societies more sustainable and promote and accelerate the achievement of SDGs. Applying sustainable engineering principles toward the implementation of sustainable development goals provides a strategic approach to finding interlinked benefits for a set of actions. This, in turn, enables economies ready for being globally competitive in the changing environment. Future research agenda should focus on empirical studies in different sectors to evaluate how sustainable engineering principles guide value creation decisions -choosing value creation drivers -that respect sustainable development dimensions and in particular, each SDG.

Conclusions
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations Member States provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet into the future. The 17 SDGs represent an urgent call for action to be taken by all countries -developed and developing -in a global partnership. Our literature study [37][38][39][40] has found that a sustainable development approach based on people, planet, and prosperity, aiming to achieve SDGs creates a new paradigm of development. However, the theoretical foundation of SDG is still weak and a comprehensive theory on sustainable development does not exist.
Starting with a literature review on the theories of value, this paper builds on the concept of sustainable value creation by integrating the triple bottom-line dimensions (economy, society, and environment), and the sustainable engineering concept. Sustainable engineering relates to the integration of social, environmental, and economic concerns into the product, process, and energy systems design and operations. Sustainable engineering principles encourage decision-makers to integrate SDGs into the lifecycle of engineering activities while