Usha Iyer-Raniga

RMIT University | RMIT · School of Property, Construction and Project Management

The Asia and the Pacific region is actively seeking ways to optimise the use and availability of its natural resources, which have been contributing to environmental degradation and hindering its sustainable development. This volume documents and promotes various initiatives showcasing the efforts countries in the region are making towards the impl...

Governments around the world have started adopting circular economy policies with the aim of transitioning production and consumption systems to be more circular. This transition requires a holistic approach to overcome a multitude of interdependent challenges. To understand how the State of Victoria, Australia is tran-sitioning to a circular econo...

The uptake of a circular economy (CE) in the building sector is challenging, primarily due to the complexity associated with the design process and the dynamic interaction among architects, engineers, and construction (AEC) stakeholders. The standard and typical design process and construction methods raise concerns about building life cycles. Buil...

Globally, there has been an increase in the production and deployment of lithium batteries (LiB). Specifically, this is due to the recent energy transition and electrification of vehicles. However, as the dependence of electric vehicles (EV) continue to increase, a large volume of LiBs are expected to reach end-of-life (EOL) in the coming years. Th...

Buildings and associated stock have a negative environmental impact during construction and operation. The transition of the built environment to circular economy (CE) has become widely accepted due to growing concerns regarding the end of life of current building stock. This transition is highlighted as a step towards achieving the Sustainable Dev...

The circular economy plays a key role in the wider transition to a low-carbon built environment. Materials are critical in this transition , yet there is limited information about their current use in the built environment in many regions. This explorative study investigated circular economy in the Australian construction materials industry using a...

Globally, there has been an increase in the production and deployment of lithium batteries (LiB). Specifically, this is due to the recent energy transition and electrification of vehicles. However, as the dependence of electric vehicles (EV) continue to increase, a large volume of LiBs are expected to reach end-of-life (EOL) in the coming years. Th...

Energy from renewable sources such as photovoltaic (PV) panels is increasingly powering small and large-scale installations worldwide. However, the end-of-life (EoL) of PV panels is a challenge. If mismanaged, PV EoL represents a loss of valuable materials and a toxic hazard to the environment and human health. Global R&D towards PV EoL management...

Buildings and associated stock have a negative environmental impact during construction and operation. The transition of the built environment to circular economy (CE) has become widely accepted due to growing concerns regarding the end of life of current building stock. This transition is highlighted as a step towards achieving the Sustainable Dev...

The circular business model (CBM) concepts are vast, interconnected, and emerging. Research to date has been somewhat fragmented, and there would be value in focusing on the systemic identification of the connectivity of the topics around CBM. Furthermore, the business model innovation (BMI) process and business model implementation were identif...

The adoption of environmental practices in small and medium scale businesses is increasing. Given the diverse environmental actions available to firms, it is important to understand the specific drivers for different actions to be taken. Based on managerial survey data from Victoria, Australia, this research uses modeling to determine how ethical c...

The construction and real estate sectors exert significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. The implementation of environmentally friendly practices in construction offers numerous advantages. Sustainable building practices provide a morally and economically viable solution to address the issues of excessive resource consumption and adv...

In Land-Use Management - Recent Advances, New Perspectives, and Applications acclaimed experts from diverse fields converge to present a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments in land-use practices. This groundbreaking book delves into the dynamic interplay between human activities and the environment, offering a nuanced understanding...

The built environment is a major consumer of raw materials compared to other industries. In the context of finite natural resources and climate change, transitioning to a circular economy (CE) in this sector is imperative to preserve natural resources and to strive in achieving zero waste and pollution reduction. This study aims to explore the conc...

Circular Economy (CE) has received widespread attention from various stakeholders as a preferred solution in response to global issues of environmental changes and resource scarcity. The Australian state of Victoria is in the process of transitioning to CE. In comparison to other states and countries, the literature and practice related to CE imple...

Effective implementation of environmental education (EE) is to produce students who have experienced an attitudinal change so that they can evaluate and show their concern for sustainable development (SD). Environmental education (EE) was introduced as a compulsory subject for schoolchildren in 2003. In the present study, we conducted an offline su...

The construction industry significantly impacts the built environment throughout its lifecycle from design, construction, operation to end-of-life considerations and decisions. In Australia, the industry generates almost 3 tonnes of waste per-capita, and this is expected to increase in the near future based on past trends. This paper focuses on und...

Sustainability calls for national and supranational collaboration between people, institutions, states, countries, and regions. The built environment can foster these partnerships leading to sustainable cities and communities. Using the language expressing the sustainable development goals (SDGs), this entry presents an argument for how the built e...

Circular business models (CBMs) are integral to the concept of the circular economy (CE). The aims of the study are to (1) redesign a canvas for CBM and (2) validate it through a single case study. The developed canvas is called the “Circular Business Model Value Dimension Canvas”. For the validation, a semi-structured interview with a social enter...

The Guidebook is a resource for anyone interested in the circular economy applied to the built environment. It comprises all the basic principles related to the concept. The difference between a linear economy and a circular economy is illustrated. Furthermore, the case studies give users some knowledge of using the concepts in built environment pr...

The residential building sector is a significant contributor to carbon footprint and climate change. This is primarily due to operational energy consumption derived from fossil fuels, and the impact of embodied carbon in materials that are used in construction and maintenance during a building's life cycle. In the context of transitioning to a low...

With the need to transition to a Circular Economy being highlighted at government and industry level, business research has focused on how firms incorporate circular business practices. However, there is a lack of research on what motivates and drives businesses to implement environmental and CE practices, specially from an Australian context. This...

Australia's uptake of solar (photovoltaic) energy represents a positive change towards renewable energy. However, the full impact of such energy needs to be understood. Understanding how photovoltaic (PV) panels are manufactured, used and finally managed at end of useful life in Australia, is required. PV waste represents a loss of valuable materia...

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the localised shelter solutions to fulfil adequate and disaster resilient housing needs of urban informal settlers of Honiara, the capital city of Solomon Islands, in a way that is sensitive to their unique challenges, values and aspirations, is gender- and disability-inclusive, and considers housing from the co...

Food security and accessibility are being threatened by climate change, inadequate agricultural practices, and poor post-harvest techniques, among other factors. This book discusses sustainable approaches that can be utilized to ensure food security, such as fortification of bioactive components, genetic modification of food, and utilization of ins...

p>In order to achieve the social, economic, and environmental sustainability goals outlined in the UN- SDGs, the building and construction (B&C) sector's role is not only crucial, but also vital. To promote and carry out such goals, a number of initiatives are being started at the national and international levels. Studies show that especially in d...

One Planet Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC), led by the Ministry of the Environment, Finland and co-led by RMIT University and UN Environment Programme was initiated in 2015. Work on circular built environments commenced in the second iteration of the programme’s work plan. SBC was the first global programme that worked on cir...

This paper presents results from an empirical study about the interplay between circular built environment (CBE) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A global survey was deployed by the One Planet Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC). This survey focused on how CBE is reflected in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a...

With increased climate-related risks and natural disasters, impacts on infrastructure assets are intensifying. As the need for adaptation actions increase, how finance is used to enable adaptation plays a vital role in the resilience of infrastructure. This research aims to understand how infrastructure adaptation measures are carried out, focusing...

The burgeon concept of Circular Economy (CE) has fundamental issues hindering clarity and comprehensive assessments. This paper uses established ontological criteria to review and improve the CE definition and (assessment) frameworks. The review reveals that mainstream CE definitions and assessments are fuzzy, shift problems, oversimplified and not...

Circular economy thinking encourages society to adopt sustainable patterns of consumption and production. This basic principle aligns with the objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include improving human welfare through equal access to drinking water and sanitation; together with reliable, sustainable, and m...

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a framework for a better future by focusing on people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships. SDGs directly relating to the built environment are SDG 11, SDG 9 and SDG 12. The SDGs do not explicitly mention circular thinking or practices. Yet, the principles underpinning sustainability and circ...

The circular business model (CBM) is one of the main building blocks of circular economy (CE), and recycling is one of the main strategies for achieving it. CBM literature is currently evolving, and recycling-oriented discussion has been found in a scattered manner. This review article aims to identify critical components of the recycling-focused b...

Sustainability teaching and learning is about understanding and making decisions that support outcomes to achieve the triple bottom line: environmental, economic and social. To ensure sustainability outcomes, scholars have called for curricular innovation to support interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning to embed sustainability learning f...

Lithium-ion batteries have become a crucial part of the energy supply chain for transportation (in electric vehicles) and renewable energy storage systems. Recycling is considered one of the most effective ways for recovering the materials for spent LIB streams and circulating the material in the critical supply chain. However, few review articles...

To ensure that shelters in informal settlements across the Pacific Island region are disaster resilient, policymakers and relief agencies must work closely with local communities to implement sustainable solutions, Darryn McEvoy, Mittul Vahanvati, Deb Kuh, and Usha Iyer-Raniga write.

Buildings are one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases globally. To reduce the detrimental effects of buildings on the environment and recognise their potential for emissions reductions, a transition towards sustainable building solutions has been observed globally. This trend and the associated benefits have been discussed and argued for mo...

This report presents an analysis of evacuation centres by architecture, engineering, and GIS experts from RMIT University. They worked closely with key stakeholders in Honiara to undertake preliminary analysis on evacuation centre needs, and to make recommendations for interventions for the Climate Resilient Honiara project (CRH). The report is ba...

Executive summary Work package 7 on climate resilient spaces, for purposes of analysis, was divided into two discrete components: a) hard infrastructure (evacuation centres) and b) nature-based solutions. This report presents an analysis of evacuation centres by architecture, engineering, and GIS experts from RMIT University. They worked closely wi...

This Shelter Guide has been developed as part of a regional suite of guides covering Fiji, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands. Whilst this Guide for Solomon Islands complements the others, it also adds critical insights by focusing on the particular needs of those living in urban informal settlements and the realities of residents who often act as first...

Circular economy thinking encourages society to adopt sustainable patterns of consumption and production. This basic principle aligns with the objectives of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include improving human welfare through equal access to drinking water and sanitation; together with reliable, sustainable, and m...

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a framework for a better future by focusing on people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships. SDGs directly relating to the built environment are SDG 11, SDG 9 and SDG 12. The SDGs do not explicitly mention circular thinking or practices. Yet, the principles underpinning sustainability and circ...

Rapid urbanisation in the Global South is leading to the growth of informal settlements in urban areas, commonly characterised by inadequate housing and a lack of essential services. It is estimated that nearly one-third of the worlds' population is living in unsafe and unhygienic conditions and experiencing considerable socioeconomic disadvantage....

The triple bottom line (TBL) principle encompasses the idea of continued economic and social well-being with minimal or reduced environmental pressure. However, in construction projects, the integration of social, economic, and environmental dimensions from the TBL perspective remains challenging. Green building rating tools/schemes, such as Green...

The present global trend towards decarbonization under the Paris Agreement encourages regions and economies to explore possible ways to reduce energy intensity and minimize emissions into the environment. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which accounts for 60% of world energy demand, aims to reduce energy intensity by 45% from 2005 lev...

The circular economy (CE) is emerging as a solution for a thriving economy within regional and planetary boundaries for environment and social justice. CE is multifaceted with interconnected processes and therefore rather difficult to assess comprehensively. This paper reviewed the corpus of macro-level CE assessments, to find the best practices in...

Established in 2015, the One Planet Sustainable Buildings and Construction (SBC) Programme has studied the state of play for circular built environment in different regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America and Oceania. One aspect of this study has been assessment for circularity using the 2030 Agenda indicators. This...

The development of mandatory green public procurement requirements is a significant and tangible contribution to undertaking planned, sustainable deconstruction (rather than demolition) approach to increase recycling materials, creating new businesses and new green jobs. Research undertaken of a procurement process for Pesaro, Italy demonstrates th...

As a country, Indonesia is becoming increasingly urbanized and has a large proportion of its population under the age of 25 years, at slightly over 100 million. Developing this fairly large proportion of its population from a human capital perspective is essential for the future of the country. Currently there is a 40% gap between supply and demand...