The term ‘sustainable development’ entered the policy lexicon with the 1987 report Our Common Future, by the World Commission on Environment and Development. Historically, civil engineers have always held the future of their work and its wider societal impact as a central tenet of their profession, and this consideration has become even more important against today’s background of climate change.
The engineers that shaped the Industrial Revolution also faced unprecedented challenges. Among the most influential of these was John Smeaton (1724-92), who was responsible for a series of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses, beginning with Cornwall’s Eddystone lighthouse in 1759. Twelve years later, Smeaton and six fellow practitioners of the new profession of civil engineering formed the Smeatonian Society to discuss matters of common interest.
This lecture will explore the basis on which Smeaton and his contemporaries made their decisions, and considers the very different and more complex environment in which today’s engineers operate. Sustainable development now demands the explicit consideration of the impact of schemes on the environment, society and the economy, as well as an assessment of the effects on climate change. Today’s civil engineers require a broad range of expertise, reflecting the holistic approach of engineers in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Peter Guthrie, professor of engineering for sustainable development at the University of Cambridge, will draw on the lessons from Smeaton’s era, as well as developments of the past 50 years, to propose what civil engineers must address as the global target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 approaches. He will also reflect on the need for the engineering profession to show leadership in sustainable development and will address the question of what it means to be a civil engineer.
