As the designers and builders of the nation’s infrastructure, civil engineers have a unique opportunity to ensure the ways we create and use our cities, transport and facilities, are truly sustainable, helping “all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations.”
(Defra 2005)
Our vision is for the civil engineering industry and profession to play its full role in the creation and maintenance of a sustainable future, building communities that are in harmony with their natural environment, that are socially equitable and economically secure.
We cannot, however, create sustainable communities by acting alone. To achieve our vision we recognise the need to work collaboratively with other disciplines so that issues surrounding the building of sustainable communities are considered holistically and fully embrace the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development.
In 2007, we published the Sustainable Development Strategy and Action Plan for Civil Engineering. Produced through a collaboration of civil engineering and construction bodies, the report recommended a number of actions for industry and institutions to follow. These actions were grouped under the following four aims;
- Promote strong leadership within civil engineering
- Embed the principles of sustainable development into everyday work activities and decision making
- Build capacity for sustainable development in the industry and profession
- Create and influence a policy framework that demands more socially and environmentally responsible behaviour
This section is intended to mark a ‘breakpoint’ in the strategy, allowing a review of our and others progress, that has been made towards these aims since the document’s creation.
Progressing the 2007 action plan has proved to be very challenging with the resources available to the signatories. Some actions have been achieved, some have been superseded by events and others we have failed to address. The challenge of delivering a more sustainable civil engineering sector has not diminished since 2007; given the current constraints on the industry and economy in general, achieving this vision will require more effort than ever. It is our hope that this review will help create the platform for addressing the continuing challenge of creating a sustainable civil engineering profession and construction industry.