b'Member News July 2020 7Working towards a sustainable planetOne of our key themes for the next 10 years is around how engineering can help us achieve a more sustainable planet. James Robottom, the lead for Sustainability and Climate Change, has penned an open letter to our members to explain the role engineering and the IET can take on this important issue.As we find ourselves in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic and an associated global recession, the natural first priority is to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of yourself and loved ones. Im proud to see the work the IET has done in supporting efforts to deal with COVID-19 across the world, but our work has only just begun. This year was already due to be a big year politically for tackling climate change. With the UN Climate1) THINK LONG-TERMEngineers can consider the impact of Conference COP 26 due to be held in Glasgow intechnology change, major projects and emerging trends on longer November postponed, many are concerned that atime scales; beyond the end of life of the engineered product. It is growing momentum may have been stalled by theessential that the longer-term impacts of any new technology and global recession. This cannot happen. Returning to theinnovation are considered, that resilience and adaptation are built in and that any view of the long term must consider the ethical way things were before the pandemic should not beimplications on future generations and the impact on them by the preferred option. This should be an opportunity toengineering decisions made today.build a better global economy, putting decarbonisation and climate change at the heart of it. While we continue to battle towards recovery from this2) THINK GLOBALLYClimate change is not a national issuepandemic in the short term, climate change remainsengineers work on projects that have an impact across borders.the most significant long-term challenge for the planet.It is vital that engineering does what it can to consider theglobal impacts of its actions and seek to reduce emissionsThe responsibility to drastically reduce our impact onacross the world.the climate falls on all areas of society. Decarbonising quickly and effectively requires urgent, clear and decisive leadership and relies on establishing the3) USE ALL RESOURCES RESPONSIBLYNow, more than ever, infrastructure, systems and governance for long termit is essential that resource efficiency is taken as seriously as sustainability.possible, be that in the energy, materials or even the amount of travel undertaken. Making decarbonisation a core consideration Fortunately, engineers have the skills, insights andin design, build, implementation and operation can reduce impact ingenuity to help tackle climate change in ways thatwhere possible and cut emissions significantly.optimise efficiency, economy, safety and reliability. Engineers are problem solvers and innovators, with a4) STRIVE TO INNOVATEEngineers have an extraordinary unique perspective on the world. Most of these issueshistory of being great problem solvers and will continuously work will require unprecedented collaborative action and weto innovate, find new solutions and push the boundaries of what is believe that engineering is central to delivering them.possible in order to improve.We have a long history of promoting professionalism and encouraging ethical behaviour in the practice of5) BE A CHAMPIONClimate change cannot be addressed without science, engineering and technology to help raise thecollaboration across governments, industries and wider society. level of public trust and confidence in the positiveEngineers can be the experts and advocates to sharing knowledge, contribution to society made by our field. In relation tobest practice and experience. Upholding the high standards of the climate change and sustainability we feel its essentialengineering profession in the pursuit of real sustainable development to highlight some key principles to complement ourwill be vital to addressing these challengesprofessional standards.We will continue to influence and inform decisions being made around COVID-19 and our recovery from it over the coming months, but rest assured we are looking much longer term. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and that together we can emerge from this with our sights set on recovering to a cleanerand greener future.Yours sincerely,Sustainability and Climate Change Lead'