On 3 November, Rachel Skinner, one of the founder members of Women in Transport and our Patron, became the 156th President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and marked the start of her year with ICE's first ever fully-virtual Inaugural Address.
Halving our carbon emissions by 2030
Rachel spoke passionately about just one issue: Net-Zero Carbon and the need for civil engineers to act together, urgently, to help reduce carbon emissions and therefore address climate change. She was clear that climate change is the primary existential threat to our long-run future, and that we must use the next decade to take action if we are to avoid catastrophic impacts across the planet.
"Since the middle of the last century, scientists have been warning us of a serious imbalance in our natural systems, mostly caused by us," she said.
"Population growth is making that worse, and our global systems are literally creaking at the seams. We're living way beyond our means each and every day."
She went on to explain the critical link between climate change, carbon emissions and infrastructure.
Infrastructure is now responsible for around 70% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, either because of the processes that create it or because of the behaviours it enables. This includes iron, steel and cement production but also the impacts of our energy, transport, buildings, digital, water and waste systems, each and every day.
These carbon emissions are the primary driver of climate change.
She went on to say that because they understand the whole life-cycle of this infrastructure and its associated systems, civil engineers are now ideally placed to drive down carbon emissions. We must halve our current carbon emissions by 2030 if we are to avoid the worst impacts and costs of climate change.
During her address, Rachel launched a brand new film called “Shaping Zero”.
The specially commissioned film features a cast of famous faces such as world-renowned explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Chair of the UK Committee on Climate Change Lord Deben, former UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd, former ICE President Sir John Armitt, the Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti and the Mayor of Stockholm Anna König Jerlmyr, Eden Project Founder Sir Tim Smit and many industry experts.
"What are you going to do?"
Rachel reminded us that we are not on the starting line for carbon-led change for infrastructure, and that nothing she had presented was brand new. She warned that, while there is some activity underway and progress to report, the current level of carbon emissions means that current progress is “nowhere near enough”.
Rachel then encouraged civil engineers to reconsider their sense of purpose, suggesting that “this is our chance to recast civil engineering for the 21st century. We are still transforming lives, but with a new and more urgent purpose. And what better purpose could there possibly be than assuring the quality of life for this generation, the next and the next?”
She noted the crucial role of collaboration. "It’s important to understand that this is not a race. "While it’s great to hear about different cities and different businesses homing in on net-zero carbon, we need to remember that we’re all starting in different places and this is a race that no-one really wins unless we all do."
She closed by reiterating her key question, aimed at each of us individually: “What are you going to do?”
You can watch Rachel's inaugural address and the film here
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