Keith Clarke: Low Carbon Economy – can engineers start to define questions rather than answer them? - 07 March 2011

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Engineers must learn from the revolutionary engineers of the past and take action urgently if they are to overcome the greatest global challenge of our age – achieving a low carbon society, Keith Clarke, chief executive of engineering design consultancy Atkins, will say tomorrow (08 March 2011) at a public meeting of The Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The lecture focuses on the true role of the engineer in this new currency of carbon and what we can control and influence. Engineers need to provide design choices that meet the demands of a low carbon economy. This means moving outside our comfort zone, taking risks, learning rapidly and revolutionising our way of thinking. The challenges are serious and the necessary changes radical. But we must promote action and a growing sense of citizenship, and engineer a revolution in our own field.

Often criticised for being slower and less innovative than their predecessors of the 1800s, Keith asks what the engineers of today can learn from the likes of Telford, Watt and Brunel to help them build a low carbon society. The last industrial revolution was pioneered by engineers who didn’t just answer questions and solve problems that were put in front of them – they defined the questions. They led social and economic change, and we must do the same now.

He says: “Moving to a low carbon society is as large a driver for engineers today as industrialisation was to our forefathers from the Victorian age. What they did affected almost every aspect of daily life, and reducing carbon emissions could be considered a ‘new industrial revolution’ and is set to have a similar impact on tomorrow’s world.”

Keith concludes: “It is imperative that we move beyond the rhetoric and into a new, results-driven era with urgency. Combating climate change requires a massive transformation of our infrastructure networks, in particular the urgent decarbonisation of energy generation, and if we don’t act now we risk seriously jeopardising our future quality of life. 

“Engineers have been devising theories and planning for the shift to a low carbon society for several years now, but the time is up – we must now put the theory into practice. We have to shift the focus from intellectualisation and hypothesising to action and delivering results, and this must be driven from within industry." 

The lecture is free to attend, and takes place in Lecture Theatre 1, McCance Building, University of Strathclyde, Richmond Street, Glasgow on Tuesday 08 March 2011 at 18:00.

Ends
 

For more information: 

 
Jane Sheils
PR Manager

Jane.sheils@atkinsglobal.com

+44(0)1372 752350 / +44(0)7803 259777

Notes to editors:

About Atkins

Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is the UK’s largest engineering and design consultancy and the world’s 11th largest design firm.  We have the depth and breadth of expertise to respond to the most technically challenging and time critical infrastructure projects and the urgent transition to a low-carbon economy. Whether it’s the concept for a new skyscraper, the upgrade of a rail network, the modelling of a flood defence system or the improvement of a management process, we plan, design and enable solutions.

Recent projects include:
• Major infrastructure works, such as the design and programme management of the civil works for the Dubai Metro red and green lines;
• High profile transport planning and urban design – our innovative scheme to deliver a diagonal crossing at London’s Oxford Circus has helped tackle the problem of pedestrian crowding;
• Key rail projects – providing architectural and engineering design services on London’s Crossrail, Europe’s biggest civil engineering project, and designing stations, tunnelling and track systems on Gautrain, South Africa’s first high speed line;
• Multidisciplinary building design – North Wood Primary School in Darlington is an exemplar project which raises standards for environmental design and community engagement;
• Vital water and environmental projects – as part of a joint venture, Atkins is providing technical assistance to the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme in Nigeria, which will benefit up to three million people.

Atkins was named Consultancy of the Year in the CIBSE Low Carbon Performance Awards 2010; received the first ever certification of the Carbon Trust Standard awarded to an engineering consultancy in the construction sector; and was named among The Times Top 50 Companies Where Women Want to Work 2009 and The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2009. Atkins was also construction and civil engineering sector winner for the fifth consecutive year in the Target National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2010 and was awarded a RoSPA Gold Award 2010 for excellence in control of health and safety in the workplace.

Atkins is the official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

About Keith Clarke

Keith Clarke is chief executive of Atkins, the largest engineering consultancy in the UK and one of the world’s largest design companies. A Chartered Architect with more than 30 years’ experience in construction and engineering, he is also currently serving as Chairman of the UK Construction Industry Council (CIC), having previously chaired its Health and Safety Committee.  

Keith joined Atkins from Skanska AB where he was Executive Vice President responsible for their activities in the UK, Poland, the Czech Republic, India, Hong Kong and China. He has over 30 years' experience in construction and engineering having previously worked for the City of New York, Olympia and York, Trafalgar House and Kvaerner.

Keith is at the forefront of encouraging the built environment sector to embrace Carbon Critical Design in response to the urgent challenge of climate change. He believes carbon must become a core decision making factor in the way we plan, design and procure capital projects.  

In September 2009, Keith was appointed by Lord Mandelson as interim chair of the Construction Innovation and Growth team (IGT) to review how the UK construction industry can be “fit for purpose” in a low carbon future.  The Government’s Chief Construction Adviser, Paul Morrell, took over the IGT chair upon his appointment in November 2009 but Keith has been retained as deputy chairman and interim chairman of the Infrastructure Group.

Keith is an advisory board member of the Built Environment Innovation Centre at Imperial College, London; a member of the Supporters at Large Group for Open House; and patron of the Environmental Industries Commission.

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