tive proposed which is a whole systems approach that recog-
nises the interconnectedness of actions both social and
economic.
A futures perspective
“At no point in our whole history has the speed and scale
of technological change been so fast and pervasive.”
Gordon Brown speaking at the Trades Union Congress
2005 conference
The need to adapt and refine curriculum to keep pace with
and anticipate the changing global market place for
engineering graduates is widely recognised by government,
business, engineering institutions, accrediting bodies and
the universities themselves. As markets become increasingly
global, knowledge and innovation driven and defined by
environmental and social constraints, universities will need to
keep abreast of changing employer requirements and antic-
ipate the future, something which is recognised by
universities themselves. The adjacent table lists some
resources for identifying and tracking global futures.
Table 1:
Simple map of the global context showing the linkages and impacts of climate change, poverty, globalisation and
engineering upon each other
Climate change
linkages
and impacts
Impact of climate change on
poverty
• Poor hit earliest and hardest with the
least capacity to adapt. Climate
change may led to:
• Loss of habitats & biodiversity,
• Loss of livelihoods/new
opportunities, Increased frequency/
severity of natural disasters, flooding
and extreme weather,
• Water scarcity & desertification,
• Conflict, civil unrest and migration,
• Health impacts & food insecurity.
• Complex trade-offs: e.g. biofuels
could boost or undermine livelihoods
of poor, carbon markets could reduce
or entrench poverty.
Impact of climate change on
globalisation
• The impacts of carbon trading and
the shift towards a low carbon
economy especially in energy,
transport, foodstuffs, manufacturing,
construction & tourism markets,
• Localisation of supply chains &
markets due to higher transport costs,
• Increased risk, uncertainty & market
volatility, Disruption to agriculture &
infrastructure,
• Failuretoaddressclimatechange
undermines global economy and
support for globalisation processes.
Impact of climate change on
engineering
• Newmarketsandopportunitiesin
renewable energy, alternative fuels,
energy conservation & waste
reduction,
• New research / innovation
opportunities,
• Disaster preparedness and relief and
post-disaster reconstruction,
• Low carbon economy especially in
energy, infrastructure & construction
markets.
Impact of poverty on climate
change
• Farming, energy, transport,
urbanisation and development
choices of developing nations are
critical if global CO2 reduction targets
are to be met especially in rapidly
industrialising economies (Brazil,
Russia, India & China).
• Global carbon trading and emissions
targets must recognise the needs and
rights of the poor and the obligations
of industrialised nations.
Poverty
linkages and
impacts
Impact of poverty on
globalisation
• The responsibility to act ethically,
contribute to poverty reduction and
involve poor in decision making is
becoming recognised by global
corporations,
• Failure to act responsibly or to address
poverty undermines support for
(current models of) globalisation.
• Globalisation criticised by
international development & trade
reformers.
Impact of poverty on
engineering
• Requires low cost solutions that are
appropriateto cultural, political, social
and economic environment,
• Requires participation of the poor and
local knowledge,
• Developing countries are often high
risk / high return markets.
Impact of globalisation on
climate change
• International supply chains increase
energy and transport impacts,
• Reduced production costs increase
waste and consumerism fuelling
carbon emissions
• Environmental impacts displaced to
less developed country (LDC)
production centres.
Impact of globalisation on
poverty
• Social, legal & environmental
safeguards often lower in less devel-
oped countries (LDCs),
• Offers economic opportunities esp. in
natural resources & agriculture,
tourism, manufacturing and fair-trade
goods,
• LDC economies vulnerable to capital
flight and brain drain, trade rules
disadvantage LDCs and undermine
national sovereignty.
Globalisation
linkages
and impact
Impact of globalisation on
engineering
• Growth in LDC markets esp. in
utilities, infrastructure & the extractive
industries,
• International supply chains promote
technology transfer & standardised
systems,
• Growth in labour mobility, access to
knowledge.
Impact of engineering on
climate change
• Transport, energy, agriculture,
infrastructure and manufacturing
choices determine impacts,
• Engineeringandinnovationkeyto
mitigation and adaptation,
• Engineeringkeytodisaster
preparedness and reconstruction.
Impact of engineering on
poverty
• Engineering key to providing pro-poor
energy, transport, shelter, health and
water products and services,
• Platforminfrastructureand
technologies providean enabling
environment for growth,
• Engineeringsupplychainsand
technology transfer offer poverty
reduction opportunities.
Impact of engineering on
globalisation
• Engineeringknowledgeand
innovation especially in transport,
energy, manufacturing and ∣Ct are
the drivers behind economic
integration and globalisation,
• Sustainability and climate change will
force a revised model of engineering
and globalisation.
Engineering
linkages
and impacts
Page 6 The Global Engineer