Engineers Without Borders UK Information

We urgently need to balance the needs of all people with the needs of our planet to ensure a safe and just future for all. We are draining natural resources, destroying ecosystems, and to avoid further climate crisis, emissions must drop drastically in the next decade. Meanwhile, there continues to be vast inequality across the world, with millions of people still without their basic human rights met. Engineering has played a significant role – both good and bad – in getting humankind and the planet to where we are today. Typically, the engineering community still relies on unsustainable practices and materials, with limited consideration of the broader impact. The building and construction sector alone is responsible for 38% of global emissions. Engineering education and practice used to evolve with the needs of society. Evidence shows that this has stagnated, with a recent survey finding that 93% of UK engineering companies with a sustainability strategy do not have staff with the skills to fulfil it. This has to change. We need to move away from outdated working methods and prioritising profit over people and planet. With a different approach, the engineering community has the power to rapidly transform our world for the better. As society moves towards the deadline to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we will inspire the engineering community to commit to global responsibility. We will drive change, collaborating with companies, universities and a wide variety of organisations to mainstream globally responsible engineering. This is an ambitious strategy but the scale of the challenge demands this. By bringing together thousands of people and organisations, we will develop unstoppable momentum towards achieving social and environmental justice through engineering. Whether you are an engineer, academic, university student, or involved with engineering in any way, we want and need you to be a part of this movement for change.