In their latest meeting, the ICE council elected the 2022/23 president, reviewed progress in the last year and discussed the Chartered Infrastructure Engineer title, and ethics.
At the first Council meeting of the 2022 session and my first as president, I was delighted to welcome several new members to the Council and our new deputy chair of Council, Steven Robertson. The Council plays an important role in developing the Institution and I look forward to working with the members in the coming year.
As I highlighted in my inauguration speech I am keen to ensure the continuation of Rachel Skinner’s legacy and that as a council and an institution we continue to focus on our goal of helping industry to reduce carbon and improve sustainability in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We need to double down on outcome-based infrastructure and put societal outcomes at the heart of what we do.
End-of-year update
2021 has been a tumultuous year for all of us, but as in 2020, ICE has weathered the storm, delivering some excellent results.
We have continued to qualify our members and support their development. We have delivered several excellent reports and the UK government continues to take on board our comments and insights. Our membership numbers are pretty much on target and TTL continues to thrive despite fluctuations in bookings at One Great George Street.
The year ahead will be busy. With a focus on productivity and how to create a more sustainable future for infrastructure, ICE will lead on PAS 2080, support the delivery of the low carbon concrete roadmap and build our Carbon Champions programme.
Chartered Infrastructure Engineer
As the home of infrastructure, we want the ICE to represent the very best in infrastructure thought leadership. We have always been an open, inclusive and progressive institution leading the way in tackling the issues facing society.
This is a once-in-a-generational opportunity to position the ICE as the home not just of civil engineers, but also of suitably competent engineers, with the right academic and experiential competence who can join as Chartered Infrastructure Engineers.
Standards for the Chartered Infrastructure Engineer title will mirror the same gold standard and rigorous processes that Chartered Civil Engineers are held to. Frameworks will be developed which will ensure that only those able to demonstrate the highest levels of professional competence and expertise will be able to qualify.
I encourage everyone to vote in favour of the title at the ballot which will open in February.
Ethics
A shift to a more sustainable future means we need to reinvigorate the emphasis we place on ethics and how we tackle the difficult issues of putting societal good before economic gain.
Under the new leadership of Richard Bayfield, trustee for professional conduct and ethics, the ethics committee will be looking at international best practice to better understand how we can build consensus in society and deliver ethical, sustainable projects.
2022/23 ICE President
It was my honour to oversee the unanimous vote to confirm Keith Howells as the next president of the ICE.
Keith has been an active member of ICE for a number of years and currently chairs the Policy and External Affairs Committee. I look forward to passing the baton into his capable hands next November.
