The influence of engineering in the 2030 Agenda
Today, 4 March, is the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, and we at SOCOTEC would like to think a little about what this entails.
When we talk about the 2030 Agenda or the SDGs, there is one actor that stands out as the beating heart and key of the changes: engineering. As a company and a sector, we must set ourselves up as leaders in the sustainability transformation to contribute to healing the planet.
The report on “Engineering for Sustainable Development” from UNESCO explains “why engineering is crucial for sustainable development and why the role of engineers is vital in addressing basic human needs such as alleviating poverty, supplying clean water and energy, responding to natural disasters, constructing resilient infrastructure and bridging the development divide, among many other actions, leaving no one behind.”
This is why we must act as drivers for change, starting by reinventing ourselves as a sector to lay the groundwork for the change we want to spark in society.
At SOCOTEC, we are 100% committed to this change, and we have redefined our objectives to focus more on the circular model
At SOCOTEC, we are 100% committed to this change, and we have redefined our objectives to focus more on the circular model so we can help sustainable development become reality. Our obligation is not only to do it, but also to say it: we need to be able to share our knowledge to help others apply it to, thereby making progress as a team and contributing to sustainability together.
We need to roll out long-term solutions to help us reduce our carbon footprint
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Solutions
Circular engineering is and must be the biggest ally in this change by rolling out long-term solutions to help us reduce our carbon footprint.
We need to design, make and build more efficiently, ensuring that objects can be repaired, reused and reprocessed.
On a personal level, we can change our everyday habits to help preserve the environment, but the decisions that we make in engineering or construction will have a much greater impact.
Circular engineering is and must be the biggest ally in this change by rolling out long-term solutions to help us reduce our carbon footprint.
We need to design, make and build more efficiently, ensuring that objects can be repaired, reused and reprocessed.
On a personal level, we can change our everyday habits to help preserve the environment, but the decisions that we make in engineering or construction will have a much greater impact.
It is therefore essential for us to redefine the concept itself and turn it into an opportunity. A practical example would be the green pavements that are currently being developed to use materials that initially could not be recycled, such as plastics.
As the current focus is on saving resources, circular models, and other indicators for the impact of production activities, sustainability has been firmly integrated into brilliant strategies and solutions that guide project design, all of which has a positive impact at the financial, environmental and social level.
It is only through the participation of each and every one of us that the goals set out for the #Agenda2030 – and the more ambitious ones for 2030-2050 – can be met.
