b'20 Member News November 2021Solving societal challengesSustainability and Climate ChangeHow the IET is supporting the engineering industry to drive change and help meet our ambitious global targetsWe know that climate change is anGrid conference: Climate change is anIncoming IET Young Professionals immediate and serious threat to our planet.unprecedented societal challenge. Its aCommittee Chair, James Mitchell MIETThe Paris Agreement of 2015 states thatglobal issue requiring collaboration acrossWorking with our partnersgreenhouse gas emissions must be kept toindustry, government and academia where 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in order toengineers play a crucial role throughOur partnership insight avoid irreversible catastrophic outcomes forinnovation and problem solving. weeks have provided a future generations. wealth of information Young professionals will inherit aabout the challenges We also know that engineers play a majornumber of climate challenges to solve.faced by engineers in role in solving climate change challenges.They will be required to respond tosustainability roles today. These include The IET is focusing on sustainability andclimate change by adapting to meet thethe move to hydrogen for net zero heating climate change to help the engineeringchanging climate as well as mitigation and transport solutions and the challenge profession to find these solutions, andof climate change through a reduction of balancing client cost requirements with gain the skills and knowledge needed toof our carbon footprint. implementing sustainable solutions for implement them. buildings, both new and for retrofit projects.To meet these challenges, young Our ambition is to accelerate theprofessionals will require broad skillsAsking industrypace of development and adoptionsets including a depth of technical of technology that supports theknowledge and a breadth of leadership,Our Green Skills for move to a zero carbon future. communication and collaboration skills.Net Zero and a Green Recovery Survey asked 1,010 senior How are we doing this? decision makers in The YPCs mission is to inspire,engineering business We are engaging in a range of activitiesinform and influence thewhat challenges they faced in meeting and projects to better understandcompany sustainability goals. We industry needs and drive the changesglobal community of young learned that almost half of those needed. These include: professionals, supportingsurveyed have difficulties finding COP26 and promoting technologythe skills needed by their engineers innovation to meet thethrough recruitment and traininga Having been grantedneeds of society. We do thischallenge that the IET can help with. Observer Status at theWe also conducted a Green Preferences global climate conferenceby providing professional in Glasgow in November,Survey to find out more about the development and knowledgegeneral populations views, attitudes and we will represent the voice of the engineeringsharing opportunities tounderstanding of their impact on climate community in all of our related activity. develop young professionalschange, what steps they currently take and At time of writing, this includes partneringintend to in the future to make a difference. to make an impact onThe adoption of new, greener technologies with National Grid for their Global Youth Engineering Climate Change Conferencethese societal challengeswill be key for the public, and it is engineers held in September. We are constantlysuch as climate change. who will create and adapt the technologies seeking opportunities to promote theavailable to make them reliable, affordable work of our members and volunteers inand appeal to the public at large.relation to the themes of the COP.Incoming IET Young ProfessionalsTo find out more about our commitment to sustainability andCommittee (YPC) Chair, Jamesclimate change and to read our official position statement, see Mitchell MIET, says of the Nationaltheiet.org/impact-society/sustainability-and-climate-change'