UK Structural Engineers Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency

The crisis of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss are two of the most serious issues of our time. Buildings and construction play a major part, accounting for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions whilst also having a significant impact on our natural habitats.

For everyone working in the construction industry, meeting the needs of our society without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries will demand a paradigm shift in our behaviour. Together with our clients, we will need to commission and design buildings, cities and infrastructures as indivisible components of a larger, constantly regenerating and self-sustaining system in balance with the natural world.

The research and technology exist for us to begin that transformation now, but what has been lacking is collective will. Recognising this, we are committing to strengthen our working practices to create structural engineering outcomes that have more positive impact on the world around us.

We will seek to:

Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action amongst our clients, collaborators and supply chains.
Advocate for faster change in our industry towards regenerative design practices and a higher Governmental funding priority to support this.
Establish climate and biodiversity mitigation principles as a key measure of our industry’s success: demonstrated through awards, prizes and listings.
Share knowledge and research to that end on an open source basis.
Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown, and encourage our clients to adopt this approach.
Upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon efficient alternative to demolition and new build whenever there is a viable choice.
Include life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post occupancy evaluation as part of the basic scope of work, to reduce both embodied and operational resource use.
Adopt more regenerative design principles in practice, with the aim of providing structural engineering design that achieves the standard of net zero carbon.
Collaborate with clients, architects, engineers and contractors to further reduce construction waste.
Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work.
Minimise wasteful use of resources in our structural engineering design, both in quantum and in detail.

We hope that every structural engineering practice operating in the UK will join us in making this commitment.

Resources:

Please note that the Institution of Structural Engineers web site www.istructe.org provides a link to this declaration as well as information about related activities and opportunities for member engagement.

The Climate Framework is a curriculum framework and shared platform for holistic climate knowledge in all disciplines of the built environment.

In addition, there are two related UK engineering declarations on line. Please visit www.buildingservicesengineersdeclare.com and www.civilengineersdeclare.com. You can also visit www.builtenvironmentdeclares.c... to learn how to set up a declaration in another country or sector.

To sign:

Practices must provide the email address for their CEO, Chairperson or appropriate Board Member. Approval will be sought via this email before the company name is added to the declaration.

Signatures: