Sustainability

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Sustainability Quote from Dr. Nathalie Touze
Geosynthetics beneficially improve the sustainability of infrastructure. They extend road service lives, reduce the dependence on aggregates, conserve water resources, minimize land disturbance, control soil erosion, protect groundwater, etc.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has been engaged with sustainability interests for much of the last decade, through publications, events, lectures, and member participation in high-level research. In 2018, IGS Vice President Dr. Natalie Touze delivered the quadrennial Giroud Lecture on connections between the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and geosynthetic materials in infrastructure. This watershed moment led the Society in 2019 to formalize its commitment to the promotion of sustainable development through the creation of a Sustainability Committee; to launch a Sustainability eBook in 2020 on the 50th Earth Day celebration; and to greatly expand the Sustainability Committee’s involvement in the IGS and the international engineering community in 2021. 

Did You Know…?

Did You Know … #6: Geosynthetics prevent floods and protect lives, livelihoods and property

Did You Know … #5: Geosynthetics protect land and water resources by preventing soil erosion and supporting vegetation (PDF)

Did You Know … #4: Choosing geosynthetics offers the best of both worlds in cost-effectiveness and sustainability (PDF)

Did You Know … #3: Geosynthetics help protect the environment from landfill waste contamination (PDF)

Did You Know … #2: Geosynthetics can greatly reduce the dependency on aggregates in infrastructure construction (PDF)

Did You Know … #1: How geosynthetics make significant contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (PDF)

Publications

10th International Conference on Geosynthetics (10 ICG)

Engineering Sustainability Paper

Environmental Geotechnics Papers

EuroGeo 5 Papers

Geosynthetics International Papers

Geotextiles & Geomembranes Papers

IGS eBook on Geosynthetics & Sustainability

Review Paper in Open-Access Journal Sustainability

Soils and Rocks Paper

Videos

Geosynthetics for Sustainable Development

Dr. Nathalie Touze’s Giroud Lecture

Education Opportunities

Conferences

Additional Sustainability Resources

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IGS Sustainability Committee

If you would like to participate with the IGS Sustainability Committee, contact the IGS! Email: IGSsec@GeosyntheticsSociety.org
Not an IGS member yet? Joining is easy.

Learn more about the Sustainability Committee’s formation