Column: Going Green
There is no planet B!
E
By Jenny Munday, Head of Sustainable Growth, Engineers Without Borders UK
ngineers are behind some of the greatest advances by humanity. But, at the same time, the profession is responsible for a significant portion of the damage
inflicted on our environment. Given the extreme state of the climate
crisis, the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), which took place aſter this column’s deadline, was likely the most catalytic of our life, as we face the last opportunity to create extensive, sustainable change. At Engineers Without Borders UK, we
have laid out principles for engineers to fundamentally change the way those in the engineering sector work and think, to resolve and reverse environmental damage and improve the lives of all people.
Our moral duty Doctors have a moral duty to their patients and to their clients. Lawyers have a moral duty to justice, first and foremost. But what about engineers? For a sector that employs 5.7 million
people in the UK alone, we continue to have a surprising lack of clarity around our commitments to people and the planet. We have this professional engineering institution’s individual codes of conduct and its “Statement of Ethical Principles”, but, to enable a better world, a professional commitment should be about putting principles into action every single day. As we look ahead to the 2030 deadline
for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is time for the engineering community to proactively consider how to address the destruction of global ecosystems and the current failure to meet the basic human rights of everyone. Te engineering community is uniquely placed to address these challenges – and it can do so if we take a different approach and act urgently. Tere must be a rapid move towards
globally responsible practice. Tis means critically reflecting on the role of engineering in society, and understanding the social, environmental and economic impacts of engineering, both locally and globally, through the supply chains and on to the eventual users of the technology.We need to move from an approach of engineering for people and planet to an approach of engineering with people and planet.
08 November 2021
www.electronicsworld.com
Problem solving Today, engineers are oſten described as problem solvers; in doing so we have emphasised jumping in too late in the process, when we should be going further back. Should we even describe our focus as working on problems at all? If we were to reframe our perspective to one that is continuously looking for opportunities for improvement, building on existing strengths and what is already working well, then we challenge the assumption that everything needs to be fixed by starting from scratch, which is not only costly, but can lead to unsustainable results from the outset. Equally, the inclusion of a diverse range of
people’s views and insights in the engineering process has never been more important. We cannot question how else we might build our cities if citizens are not involved in shaping that vision; we cannot rethink food supply unless the consumers of food are part of the debate; we cannot consider whether or how we travel unless those who need to get from A to B are also given the opportunity to refine that need. Engineers alone cannot address the significant global challenges we face; we must work in collaboration with others. To achieve social and environmental justice,
we need those in and around engineering to commit to global responsibility. Our 2021-30 strategy sets out four key principles for globally responsible engineering that we want to see adopted across the engineering community and embedded in the culture of how all engineering is taught and practiced.
Four principles
• Responsible: To meet the needs of all people whilst preserving our planet. Tis should be at the heart of engineering.
• Purposeful: To consider all the impacts of engineering, from a project or product’s inception to the end of its life. Tis should be at a global and local scale, for people and planet.
• Inclusive: To ensure that diverse viewpoints and knowledge are included and respected in the engineering process.
• Regenerative: To actively restore and regenerate ecological systems, rather than just reducing impact. You can demonstrate your professional
commitment to globally responsible engineering by becoming a member of Engineers Without Borders UK. You will join a diverse network of people who share your dedication, and who will inspire, support and help build your resolve to put these principles into action.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
