Environmental concerns are receiving widespread media coverage, and targets are being set locally, nationally and globally to mitigate environmental damage. However, often the targets are narrow, do not take into account wider sustainability and are not accompanied by clear routes to implementation. Engineers have the capability to develop practical measures for sustainable lives. The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group (EESG) at the IMechE is focused on promoting sustainable engineering practice. Rupert Blackstone, Chair of EESG, will talk about global sustainability from the perspective of EESG, and convey how global objectives can be translated into local engineering practice. This will include an exploration of the interrelationship between activities in different sectors, to inform a coherent systems approach towards sustainable outcomes. It will be recognised in the talk that human attitude and behaviour will be fundamental to appropriate action, and the process towards a sustainable ideal will be expressed in terms of pragmatic steps, with engineers needing to take into account behavioural factors in their thinking.

About the Speaker