Think tank urges education reform to achieve net-zero objectives

The built and natural environment think tank The Edge, in collaboration with several professional engineering institutions and other organisations, has issued a call for for changes in engineering education to promote a sustainable future.

The Edge is a multi-disciplinary, campaigning built-environment think tank that strives to stimulate interest and debate in built environment policy. In a recent statement, its members warned that it is fundamental that undergraduate education in all built and natural environment professions adequately responds to the the climate and nature crisis.

It said that engineering education needs to teach climate and environmental literacy and ethics and develop the ability in students to collaborate, communicate, challenge and advocate.

"We agree that urgent action is required, and that this will require active collaboration between educators, industry, professional institutions and accreditation bodies," the statement added.

This initiative originates from a workshop held in July 2023, when 28 representatives from industry, academia, and professional engineering institutions gathered to discuss the necessary changes in undergraduate education for built and natural environment professionals to meet net-zero goals. Further discussions involving students, recent graduates, professionals, and academics have helped to shape the proposals, and as debates on education reforms to combat climate change continue, the need to integrate sustainability into UK technical and higher education becomes increasingly important, said The Engineering Council, requiring collaboration among multiple stakeholders.

Earlier this year, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and the National Engineering Policy Centre launched Engineers 2030, a consultation aimed at addressing evolving engineering needs and attracting future engineers.