Climate emergency

Pragmatic assistance for structural engineers in the delivery of sustainable projects for the building sector.

Jo reflects on her own career and looks ahead to 2050, discussing the role structural engineers play in creating safe, sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities.

Engineering Matters speaks to 2020 Gold Medal winner, Mike Cook, about the climate emergency and his career.

This foreword briefly summarises the commitments that engineers have made in declaring a climate emergency and considers first steps to build action plans that will support these commitments.

Mike Cook FIStructE describes six actions structural engineers should take now to address climate change.

Mike Cook FIStructE explains how and why structural engineering firms are addressing the climate emergency.

CEO Martin Powell is one of 43 signatories to the engineering sector submission to the UK Government Spending Review.

In this blog Mike Sefton considers how attitudes and responses to climate change have evolved over the last 25 years. He encourages us all to take collective responsibility for tackling the climate emergency.

Mike gives a presentation about his career and commitment to the climate emergency.

In an inspiring online lecture, Dr Mike Cook presented his compelling vision for the future. He argued that structural engineers have a vital role to play in reducing the impact of carbon in the built environment.

In late 2019, the Institution set up a Climate Emergency Task Group, with the goal of driving our response to the climate emergency.

Will Arnold describes the role structural engineers can play in tackling climate change, by making informed design decisions and influencing other members of the project team.

Mike Cook and Will Arnold outline the Institution’s approach to providing guidance on the climate emergency, discussing six key areas this guidance will fall into.

Mike Cook, Chair of the IStructE Climate Emergency Task Group, introduces a new 'Climate emergency' section in The Structural Engineer .

Engineers must resist pressure to build environmentally unsustainable schemes if we want to be judged well by future generations, says 2020 Gold Medal winner and former Institution Vice-President, Mike Cook.

Ian Poole explores ways to improve the utilisation ratio of designs, and encourages engineers to challenge assumptions that favour rationalisation over optimisation.

How digital fabrication is transforming the way we construct the built environment.

A discussion of culture and practice in design relating to material efficiency.

Steve McKechnie explores building a culture of sharing and innovation where people are proud to talk about the work they do.

A study shared by BuroHappold to share knowledge that may help address the climate emergency.

Isuru Nanayakkara looks at traditional technologies and modern approaches to lightweight shell construction to seek a better perspective on how shell technology can be appropriated to different local contexts.

Ben Gholam describes the development by Price & Myers of a parametric benchmarking tool to allow engineers to produce scheme designs with the lowest embodied carbon.

Caroline Field explores the relationship between ‘lean’ and ‘resilient’ design, and discusses how future designs should evaluate risks and incorporate strategies to mitigate and adapt to these.

Natasha Watson explains how structural engineers can produce designs that make efficient use of material to reduce their environmental impact.

Ian Poole explores ways to improve the utilisation ratio of designs, and encourages engineers to challenge assumptions that favour rationalisation over optimisation.

Will Arnold, Mike Cook, Duncan Cox, Orlando Gibbons and John Orr present SCORS – a proposed carbon rating scheme for structures – and encourage engineers to adopt carbon targets for their projects.

Ben Gholam describes the development by Price & Myers of a parametric benchmarking tool to allow engineers to produce scheme designs with the lowest embodied carbon.

CEO Martin Powell is one of 43 signatories to the engineering sector submission to the UK Government Spending Review.

In this blog Mike Sefton considers how attitudes and responses to climate change have evolved over the last 25 years. He encourages us all to take collective responsibility for tackling the climate emergency.

Mike gives a presentation about his career and commitment to the climate emergency.

In an inspiring online lecture, Dr Mike Cook presented his compelling vision for the future. He argued that structural engineers have a vital role to play in reducing the impact of carbon in the built environment.

Oliver Broadbent and James Norman call for a rethink of engineering education to meet the needs of an industry adapting to the demands of the climate emergency.

In his winning entry to the Institution’s Kenneth Severn Award 2020 – an annual essay competition for young engineers – Will Rogers-Tizard argues that structural engineers can help tackle the climate emergency by making better use of materials, understanding carbon values and questioning industry norms.