Engineers have a responsibility to maximise the value of their activity towards building a sustainable world. This requires an understanding of what society demands and what is achievable, and a recognition that these change over time. They should:

• recognise that though their activity may be local and immediate, the potential impacts of their work may be global and long-lasting
• have an understanding of other relevant social and cultural structures outside their own normal community of practice
• understand the important potential role for engineers in the sustainable development of communities
• recognise the impacts of an engineering project on communities, global or local, and consider the views of the community
• understand the important potential role for engineers

Engineering is a profession with a strong ethical dimension, with engineers having an important role in providing solutions for issues such as poverty, under-development and environmental degradation. In making a sound judgement, the professional engineer should:

• look at the broad picture
• ensure that their knowledge about sustainable development is up-to-date
• be prepared to influence the decision-maker for a project
• identify all the issues and options to the decision-maker for a project so that decisions are soundly based
• identify options that take account of global, economic, social and environmental outcomes
• ensure that solutions and options are offered that will contribute to sustainability
• be aware that there are inherently conflicting and un-measurable aspects of sustainability

In seeking sustainable solutions, complying with current legislation, codes and environmental protection regulations may not be sufficient and engineers should:

• strive to go beyond the minimum wherever possible, anticipating future legislation which may be stronger
• by their example, help others improve their performance
• drive future legislation
• alert the relevant authorities if there are deficiencies in legislation and if sustainable solutions and outcomes could be endangered by regulatory change
• use their technical expertise to influence the development of new legislation and codes

Engineers have a stewardship role with respect to planetary resources, and a responsibility to society to create more useful products and services with the lowest possible consumption of raw materials, water and energy. This requires them to:

• understand that there are environmental limits and finite resources
• reduce resource demand by using less in the first place
• reduce waste production by being efficient with resources that are used
• use systems and products that reduce embedded carbon, energy and water use, waste and pollution
• adopt full life cycle assessment as normal practice, including in the supply chain
• adopt strategies for re-use, recycling, decommissioning and disposal of components and materials
• minimise any adverse impacts on sustainability at the design stage
• work to repair any damage

The increasing complexity of sustainability challenges means that engineers working alone cannot solve all the challenges that we face. It is important for engineers to be inclusive and:

• engage with stakeholders, listening and recognising the value of the perspectives of others, including non-specialists
• avoid working in isolation, involving other professionals at all stages of a project
• utilise cross-disciplinary knowledge and diverse skills
• promote the important leadership role of the engineer in finding solutions to sustainability challenges for the benefit of society
• seek a balanced approach

Engineers are routinely involved in planning and managing projects, where they should:

• harness their skills to minimise damage to people or the environment from engineering processes and products
• undertake a comprehensive risk assessment before a project begins
• ensure that the risk assessment includes the potential environmental, economic and social impacts, beyond the lifetime of the engineering project or product
• recognise the potential long-term aspect of risk
• give sustainability the benefit of any doubt, adopting a precautionary approach where scientific knowledge is not conclusive
• instigate monitoring systems so that any environmental and social impacts of engineering projects are identified at an early stage

The full guidance document can be downloaded from the useful link on the right.  This should be read alongside sustainability related information produced by Professional Engineering Institutions, such as codes, policy statements or guidance of a technical nature.