Over 200 climate change, environmental and engineering experts came together today to discuss the crucial role of engineers in the global battle against climate change. They stressed that engineers must be innovative in their practice to provide a sustainable future for communities around the world.
The two day Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) conference brings together high profile speakers and delegates from across the globe to discuss how the importance innovation in engineering can underpin a low carbon future.
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the global community and ICE is keen to stress to industry, government and the public just how vital a role engineers have in tackling it.
Without a sustainable infrastructure it will be virtually impossible to achieve a low carbon economy. This transformation of core systems will require engineers in the UK and world-wide to make fundamental changes to the way they plan, design and build infrastructure.
ICE president Paul Jowitt said:
"Although we all have a role to play in tackling climate change - from climatologists to politicians and the general public - the engineers' role is somewhat more critical; we must provide the practical solutions. This requires the global engineering community to wake-up to this massive responsibility and begin to work together to build the sustainable infrastructure that will underpin a low carbon society. It isn't good enough to start thinking about it tomorrow or next week, we need to change the way we think, design and build today."
Sessions include:
Energy: What is the right mix for the UK and how will we get there?
Resilient communities of the Future
Transport - low carbon infrastructure
Economics of climate change
Natural resources: global water and food security
Demand reduction - behavioural and cultural change
Innovative engineering solutions - research and education
Incentives for innovation: investment and change
The conference is sponsored by the EPSRC, Costain, Atkins, The Happold Trust and the University of Surrey. It is also supported by WWF, Lowcarboneconomy.com, The Times newspaper and National Geographic magazine.