Motivate students to tackle climate change, says ICE president

Climate change is the biggest risk faced by civil engineers, not the ongoing financial crisis, according to the president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Jean Venables highlighted the major challenges which climate change could bring to civil engineering during a special lecture to students and graduates today at Nottingham Trent University's School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.

The chartered civil engineer and environmentalist warned of the importance of training and motivating engineers at university level.

She stressed the responsibility of civil engineers to find solutions to help achieve the government’s set target of an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.

Venables said: “The carbon reduction challenge has become a central part of the practice of engineering and it is essential for all of us to work together to implement solutions now.

“Civil engineers must be embedded into infrastructure policy-making, the ICE is in a strong position and is getting closer to the politicians and key decision-makers but there is still much to do.”

Venables is visiting the university as part of a two-day tour of the East Midlands which is geared towards raising the profile of civil engineering in the region and increasing recognition of the work of civil engineers.