Update from WES Climate Emergency Group on their open letter to Government on embedding Climate Change into policies – Feb 2024

Ask of the UK Government to embed Climate Change into policies

1. On the Regulation of whole life carbon: to mandate the alignment and certification of all public and private sector authorities to PAS 2080: Carbon Management in buildings and infrastructure 2023
2. On the future proofing of infrastructure standards: to invest in full updates of all infrastructure standards based on weather predictions in line with a minimum 3°C warming to ensure future infrastructure projects are climate resilience
3. On the energy efficiency in homes and non-residential buildings: to address the policy gap in owner-occupied homes and non-residential buildings and set a clear timeline of activities that align with the Net Zero targets
4. On the success of future green jobs: to embed the recommendations from the Gender Pay Gap Report and the FTSE Women Leaders Review into the outputs from the Green Jobs Delivery Group

Collectively, the ask is for the rapid turnaround of legislation and policy that supports the engineering industry to urgently deliver solutions built on credible climate science to ensure a safe, rapid and just transition for people and planet.

The letter was published in June to coincide with International Women in Engineering Day (WES’s flagship global event to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of gender diversity in engineering) with co-signatories from key actors in engineering and sustainability. WES is very grateful for the support of the co-signatories1.

Responses from industry and society

Since the launch in June, over 200 citizens have backed the letter through our open petition, with 100 signing up as supporters. Professor Vincent Pizzoni stated, “I don’t think there is any doubt that we have a climate emergency and that we will need all hands on deck working collaboratively to succeed. The role of our engineers will be critical in developing the technology we need to win.” Kara Liang added, “It’s increasingly evident that now the biggest impact to be had is through ensuring that products are engineered to be sustainable, which protects not just those interacting with them but those around the world and those who follow.”

Response from Government, whilst welcomed, has been underwhelming and non-specific. Whilst the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero signalled support for our sentiment, evidence for action and pace beyond the setting of targets and the signalling of more generalised and existing climate-adjacent plans was absent. More disappointing still was a self-satisfaction in the assessment that the UK is nudging just above the actions of other nations who are equally failing to legislate with urgency. A promise for leadership at COP28 has yet to bear the evidence of leadership we have called for.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was slightly more helpful in that as well as sign posting the setting of Net Zero targets in law, it also highlighted up-coming policy and consultation works as WES CEG watching briefs: operation carbon emissions action in the Future Homes Standard (which sets out considerable improvement in energy efficiency standards for new homes), and consultations on embodied carbon emissions of construction consultations scheduled for the coming months ahead.

On behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, Baroness Barran helpfully outlined specific action the Government is taking to set the UK up for success in providing the capabilities and capacity of skills needed to deliver Net Zero but stopped short of responding specifically to our call on the Green Jobs Delivery Group.

Responses were also received from the Departments of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Transport, with both being supportive generally, but neither offering reassurance of action specifically.
Supporters wishing to sign the petition can still do so here, and supporters wishing to write to their local MPs can do so using our template letter here as a guide.

What you can expect next

We will be reviewing the responses and assessing our CEG action plan in the new year to ensure we continue to make our voice heard and create positive impact and we will share our plans on the WES website and via our social media channels.

If you have any questions or feedback about the open letter or our plan for action, please contact the Climate Emergency Group Chair at CEGChair@wes.org.uk.

[1] Paula McMahon CEng FICE CMgr FCMI FRSA FWES. Chair, Women’s Engineering Society Climate Emergency Group; Brogan MacDonald CEng CEnv MICE MWES Lead, WES CEG Open Letter Task Group; Elizabeth Donnelly MSc FRSA MRAeS MINCOSE CEO, Women’s Engineering Society; Dame Dawn Childs DBE FREng MA MDA BEng CEng FICE FIMechE FRAeS FWES President, Women’s Engineering Society; Keith Howells BSc MBA CEng FICE FCIWEM FREng. President 2022-23, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE); Jo Parker MBE BSc MBA CEng FICE FIWater FCIWEM. Vice President Engineering, Institute of Water; EUR Ing Neil Johnstone BSc MEng FCIHT MICE MIOD CEng. President, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT); Cdr Peter Gracey CEng MIET FIRSE RN. Clerk, The Worshipful Company of Engineers;  Alison Nicholl; Head, Constructing Excellence; Peter Egan CEng FInstRE MIET CEnv FCIOB MCGI.Secretary and Research Lead, Institution of Royal Engineers Sustainability Forum;  Brigitte Clements MSc AEES MSc ETH Arch RIBA / ARB;  Steering Committee Chairwoman, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN);  Prof Martin Mayfield-Tulip CEng BEng (hons) FIMechE; Head of Department, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The University of Sheffield; Philippa Spence Managing Director, Ramboll UK;  Signe Norberg Interim Executive Director, Aldersgate Group; Peter Perry President, Institute of Water;  Matthew Colton, BEng (Hons), CEng, FICE, CPEng, NER, RPEQ, FIEAust, MAICD Director, MCE;  Robin Nicholson CBE RIBA Hon FIStructE Hon FCIBSE Hon DDes Convenor of the Edge;  Dr Ollie Folayan MBE CEng FIChemE Co-Founder, Association for Black and Minority Ethnic  Engineers (AFBE-UK); Dr Priti Parikh CEng FICE FRSA Acting Director, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction; Kay Hussain Chief Executive Officer, WISE Sandi Rhys Jones OBE, FCIOB, FWES, FRSA, MCIM President, Chartered Institute of Building;  Raymond Yuen MEng CEng FIED MICE MAPM Chair, Institution of Engineering Designers

What we do

This letter was sent by the WES Climate Emergency Group to The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, The Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP and all Shadow Ministers on 20^th May 2023.

You can support this letter by adding your signature to  Petition · Ask the UK Government to embed Climate Change into policies · Change.org.

The Women’s Engineering Society Climate Emergency Group ask the UK Government to act with urgency

The Women’s Engineering Society Climate Emergency Group represents a diverse group of professionals in multiple engineering and science sectors in the UK who are actively addressing the emergencies related to climate change. We are asking the UK Government to accelerate work to ensure a future for all citizens.

We ask the relevant Government Departments and Secretaries of State to support industry effectively and decisively by:

1. regulating whole life carbon,
2. ensuring infrastructure standards are fit for the future,
3. supporting energy efficiency in homes and non-residential buildings, and
4. facilitating the success of future green jobs.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change AR6 Synthesis Report has confirmed that we are on a trajectory of hitting a 2.7 degrees Celsius global temperature rise if current policies remain unchanged due to poor implementation and insufficient climate plans. We request a clear and consistent strategic approach which will embed Climate Change Committee recommendations into every new and updated policy document.

Engineers and scientists are critical to fighting the climate emergency: we are the pioneers of innovation hence the front line of climate action. Mr Sunak outlined the importance of innovation for achieving Net Zero yet engineers do not have supporting policies to drive change. The current voluntary bottom-up approach needs strong legislative support to facilitate green design and the transition to net zero.  We provide below a few examples where political will would enable the engineering sectors to deliver tangible outputs.

Regulate whole life carbon

The construction and buildings sector contributes 25% of total UK carbon emissions. At COP26 the Government committed to achieving 68% reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. However, there is little government guidance as to how these targets are to be met by the built environment industry.  The embodied carbon of buildings, and more generally construction, is not currently required to be assessed or controlled. Project delivery does not consistently consider the full asset life and the carbon associated with the long-term operation and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure. This is leading to excessive and unnecessary material use which have significant impacts on global warming potential, human health, natural resource depletion and biodiversity loss.

We ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to urgently introduce the proposed Part Z Building Regulations to enable mandatory assessment of whole-life carbon and to establish embodied carbon limits of buildings. We believe this is integral to achieving the ambitious but vital government targets.

We ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to mandate the alignment to and certification of all public and private sector authorities to PAS 2080: Carbon management in buildings and infrastructure 2023.  This practical specification and supporting guidance will support policy and assist in removing the status to optionally account for carbon within asset and project delivery.

Ensure infrastructure standards are fit for the future

The catastrophic effects of climate change have been tangible to towns and cities across the UK. In July 2022, the temperature reached a UK high of 40.3°C causing rail disruption due to buckling tracks, and only months later, there were severe floods causing further widespread disruption across the UK.

As engineering professionals, we are aware a consistent risk-based approach which puts in place mitigation and resilience measures, informed by climate science, is needed.

We ask the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to invest in full updates of all infrastructure standards based on weather predictions in line with a minimum 3°C warming to ensure future infrastructure projects are climate resilient. 

Support energy efficiency in homes and non-residential buildings

Around 18% of our annual national CO2 emissions come from existing homes which will still be standing in 2050. 80% of 2050’s homes have already been built.  UK homes are causing our citizens undue financial stresses alongside significantly contributing to climate change. To reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector, the government must urgently address energy efficiency in homes and non-residential buildings.

Planning restriction policies and the cost of implementation is preventing real change. This is coupled with the lack of retrofit installers able to deliver the plan at scale, and an absence of a commensurate plan of how to achieve EPC “C” rating by 2035 for existing homes.

We ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to urgently address the policy gap in owner occupied homes and non-residential buildings and set a clear timeline of activities that align with the net zero targets.  

Facilitate the success of future green jobs

To achieve 480,000 skilled well-paid green jobs by 2030 and facilitate new and expanding industries we need a significant expansion in the existing workforce.  To create a just transition we can and should increase efforts to diversify: attract young girls, retain women, and address the needs of local communities who are currently dependent on the industries which are major contributors to the climate emergency.

We ask the Secretary of State for Education to embed the recommendations from The Gender Pay Gap Report and the FTSE Women Leaders Review into the highly anticipated outputs from the Green Jobs Delivery Group. 

To summarise, we ask that the UK Government and all policy makers to act with urgency and put in place legislation to enable the engineering industry to build upon the work of scientific climate organisations to ensure a safe and just space for humanity.

Sincerely,

The Women’s Engineering Society Climate Emergency Group

Signatories on 20 June 2023 letter to MPs (received up to and including Sept 2023):

• Paula McMahon CEng FICE CMgr FCMI FRSA FWES.
  Chair, Women’s Engineering Society Climate Emergency Group
• Brogan MacDonald CEng CEnv MICE MWES
  Lead, WES CEG Open Letter Task Group.
• Elizabeth Donnelly MSc FRSA MRAeS MINCOSE
  CEO, Women’s Engineering Society
• Dame Dawn Childs DBE FREng MA MDA BEng CEng FICE FIMechE FRAeS FWES
  President, Women’s Engineering Society
• Keith Howells BSc MBA CEng FICE FCIWEM FREng.
  President 2022-23, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
• Jo Parker MBE BSc MBA CEng FICE FIWater FCIWEM.
  Vice President Engineering, Institute of Water.
• EUR Ing Neil Johnstone BSc MEng FCIHT MICE MIOD CEng.
  President, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).
• Cdr Peter Gracey CEng MIET FIRSE RN.
  Clerk, The Worshipful Company of Engineers.
• Alison Nicholl.
  Head, Constructing Excellence.
• Peter Egan CEng FInstRE MIET CEnv FCIOB MCGI.
  Secretary and Research Lead, Institution of Royal Engineers Sustainability Forum.
• Brigitte Clements MSc AEES MSc ETH Arch RIBA / ARB.
  Steering Committee Chairwoman, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN).
• Prof Martin Mayfield-Tulip CEng BEng (hons) FIMechE.
  Head of Department, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The University of Sheffield
• Philippa Spence.
  Managing Director, Ramboll UK.
• Signe Norberg.
  Interim Executive Director, Aldersgate Group
• Peter Perry
  President, Institute of Water
• Matthew Colton, BEng (Hons), CEng, FICE, CPEng, NER, RPEQ, FIEAust, MAICD
  Director, MCE
• Robin Nicholson CBE RIBA Hon FIStructE Hon FCIBSE Hon DDes
  Convenor of the Edge
• Dr Ollie Folayan MBE CEng FIChemE
  Co-Founder, Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK)
• Dr Priti Parikh CEng FICE FRSA
  Acting Director, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
• Kay Hussain
  Chief Executive Officer, WISE
• Sandi Rhys Jones OBE, FCIOB, FWES, FRSA, MCIM
  President, Chartered Institute of Building
• Raymond Yuen MEng CEng FIED MICE MAPM
  Chair, Institution of Engineering Designers (IED)
• Stephen Marcos Jones
  Chief Executive Officer, Environmental Industries Commission
• Julie Harison
  Climate Champion, Engineering Together