The arguments around climate change are as esoteric as the existence of God, but would an atheist building services engineer refuse work for a client wishing to build a church or would he or she just crack on and do the best job?

At CIBSE we have a commitment to the environment in our Code of Conduct but this is not predicated on a belief in global warming. We view sustainability as the right approach in the face of ever decreasing natural resources, rising energy prices and increasing uncertainty of supply. The recent Stern Review highlighted the business case for moving in this direction and many companies are taking the decision to do so. Any scientific principle is in reality a hypothesis until such time as it is disproved; as an engineering institution, CIBSE is not placed to undertake research on climate change. We do, however, recognise that mounting evidence of climate change is a key factor in influencing decisions in construction. We respond to the demands that this makes on the industry.

If you take this approach it doesn’t matter if you are a believer, an atheist or an agnostic.

Samantha McDonough, director of policy, CIBSE

Source

Building Sustainable Design