Join us at this year’s Vernon Harcourt lecture, which will be delivered by Sally Sudworth, global head of sustainability and climate change at Mott MacDonald.

As it stands, entire economies still revolve around fossil fuels, with people around the world relying on them for not just their livelihoods but also their way of life. Making the switch to a sustainable way of living won’t happen overnight, but green infrastructure can play a huge part in creating a cleaner, greener, healthier world.

As we look forward to COP27 for climate and COP15 for biodiversity, the debate about whether COP26 was a success continues. We, as engineers, are a community of professionals that is uniquely placed to do something positive. This is as exciting and rewarding as it is demanding.

We must safeguard the globe’s precious resources, creating balanced outcomes against the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have a duty to ensure, to the best of our ability, that the infrastructure we deliver for our clients will be resilient to the impacts of climate change from wildfires, drought, extremes of temperature (freezing conditions to heat domes) to flooding. But resilience is just part of it, we also have need to factor in carbon reduction, making a conscious effort to reduce the amount we are locking in, both in construction and operation.

Are we doing enough? Come along, join the discussion in person, and better understand your role in making a difference.