Professor Gong Ke, president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), spoke to Innovation News Network about the sustainable development of the engineering sector.
Professor Gong Ke has been working in the field of telecommunication and electronic engineering. He has led many projects of Chinese high-tech research and development programmes, for terrestrial and satellite wireless communication.
In conversation with Innovation News Network, Ke discussed the impact that engineering can have on the current climate crisis and the ways in which the industry can promote sustainability.
In what way can engineering aid the current climate crisis?
“There are many ways in which engineering could help to address the climate crisis, such as through reducing the carbon emissions of engineering projects, which contribute to climate change, reducing environmental pollution and energy consumption of engineering projects and through engineering innovation, including reducing waste and turning them into resources. The winner of this year’s Young Engineers competition is an example of this. Other ways include protecting biodiversity in engineering projects and building resilient infrastructure and cities to adapt to climate changes.”
What is the importance of World Engineering Day?
“The importance of World Engineering Day is manifold. Briefly, I could mention two reasons. One is to increase public awareness of the crucial role of engineering for sustainable development by celebrating engineering accomplishments benefiting human life and its living environment; the other is to unite engineers worldwide to shoulder their social responsibility and engage themselves into sustainable development and to accelerate the implementation of SDGs by engineering practices.”
How do you think the WFEO’s relationship with UNESCO will impact the industry?
“The goal of WFEO is to establish partnerships with governments, United Nations’ organisations, especially UNESCO, and with industry, to facilitate sustainable development jointly. A core task of the co-operation of WFEO and UNESCO is to enhance engineering capacity for sustainable development.”
