The engineering sector has a duty to be more globally responsible. There are many initiatives designed to inspire young people, and whilst informing our future generations is one of the most important things we can do, we believe that current professionals also need to make a change now. Our solution is to do just that through a collaborative platform called Earth Source:
“A communication and mentoring platform that allows professionals to make sustainable choices, practices, and solutions.”
The concept came about due to a recognised gap in the industry in the networking potential between professionals, particularly related to sustainability. Information that is passed along is typically only from your immediate network. This reduces the potential for knowledge sharing for junior or newer professionals, or those within smaller companies, something that we cannot afford on the sustainability front. Earth Source aims to bridge the knowledge gap, bringing together specialists and innovators from across disciplines, to discuss relevant sustainable solutions.
Ultimately, Earth Source shall be a platform that hosts people from a wide, diverse range of disciplines, backgrounds, and cultures to ensure inclusivity. Diversity of opinion is known to be good when designing solutions, and Earth Source will optimise this through provision of rich sources of sustainable design products, that are freely available for all to view. Posts themselves are to be verified by individuals who have both created a viewable profile on the site, and signed both the site’s Code of Conduct, as well as the EWB-UK "Globally Responsible Engineer" Commitments, to reduce the risk of trolling on the site. Users and collaborators can interact and engage with posts, tagging them with Sustainable Development Goal references, sector-relevant hashtags, and up-voting innovative and effective solutions.
Users are anticipated to be members of the public and professionals from a multitude of disciplines, including government, contractors, industry and those in educational and research institutions. Inclusion enables collaborative discussions to further the understanding and implementation of sustainable processes across the globe. All users’ profiles are to include information on interests and expertise, for ease of other users identifying relevant people to assist with sustainability enquiries.
There will also be the functionality for person-to-person mentoring. This is with the aim of widening the networks of all professionals. Best practice will be promoted across the site. This is to be achieved by users working their way through levels of the site, accruing “Champion” status in the following categories through active and beneficial engagement:
Learner
Collaborator
Creator
Mentor
Editor/Reviewer
Earth Source is to be funded through an inclusively-designed membership structure, with fee banding based on individual affordability matrix. It is anticipated that funding will also be gained through advertisements of sustainable products and services. To promote Earth Source’s standing and credibility, we will partner with other institutions, organisations, community groups and notable individuals.
We believe that Earth Source provides a unique solution to the current gap of sustainability-knowledge sharing and will make engineering more globally responsible, by opening the conversation to diverse voices.
It has been fab working with you too! Your passion and knowledge in this space is admirable. Hope to stay in touch @Vaishnavi Balachandran :)
Thank you all for sharing the concept and our goals. I'm a civil engineering working in the water sector. I got involved in EWB at university and it shaped my career and professional values, particularly with engaging young people in schools to think about globally responsible engineering. My goals above reflect my commitment to continue educating myself, and broaden and deepen my engagement efforts in an inclusive way. It has been a great experience working with all of you on the challenge and creating Earth Source :)
My experience spans engineering academia and industry, teaching the EWB-UK Design for People Challenge over the last 10 years at the Universities of Sussex and of Brighton.
My SMART personal commitments are:
1. I will continue to explore and implement more globally responsible practices in my engineering work, and my daily life.
2. I will commit to attending at least one course per month or CPD event to deepen my knowledge in restorative and regenerative methods of working.
3. I will always ensure that diverse viewpoints, knowledge and experiences are heard, included and respected in all work I do, especially in the Responsible Tourism sector when I work in India later in the year.
Vaishnavi Balachandran's SMART personal commitments:
I will learn about evidence-based and innovative methods of restoration and regeneration of ecological systems.
I will identify how my engineering activities are contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and seek to maximise their contributions.
I will facilitate conversations to inspire others to engage in globally responsible engineering.
As a bit of background information about myself, I am a Civil Engineer with a background in Geology, working for a Civil and Structural design company just outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland. I originally got involved in the Reshaping Engineering design in order to meet new people and get involved with Engineering Without Borders for the first time, and have really enjoyed the challenge!
My SMART personal commitments are as follows:
I will aim to include more regenerative solutions within my engineering design work.
I will promote inclusivity within my workplace and encourage open conversations on the subject.
I will grow my understanding of globally responsible engineering.
I'm Katia, I have experience in Construction and Civil Engineering, and recently returned to university to study Landscape Architecture. I love community based action and decision making and believe people need to be at the heart of the sustainability agenda! I also love trees, nature and getting mucky outside. My SMART Commitments are; 1. I will learn about and champion evidence-based practices of regeneration and restation that keep the people at the heart of solutions and processes.
2. I will critically evaluate and challenge decisions on projects I am in involved with, including their local and global impacts. I will courageously challenge objectives and methods to make my work more globally responsible.
3. I will learn why certain groups and people are underrepresented and how I can both help their voices to be heard and respected and challenge the processes which prevent that from happening.
My SMART personal actions:
I will continue the conversation with my company on how to make engineering more sustainable through reviewing our internal governance structures and resources.
I will seek to discuss the application of sustainability into upcoming projects through engagement of our sustainability team.
I commit to taking two sustainability-related trainings or events in calendar year FY22 to expand my understanding.
I will consider sustainability in my own personal decisions. As a bonus, I will seek to baseline my activities and improve upon it through lifestyle choices.
I will review my personal commitments as part of my annual goal setting process.
For further information, and more examples of how this platform could be utilised across different areas of interest (e.g., education, aviation), please find attached supporting document to our team's final submission.