A partnership between the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council and Aston University.
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This project's duration was 15 months
£72,956
The Benchmarking Engineering Capacity across the Commonwealth project is a partnership between Aston University and the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
Led by the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council, and delivered through Aston University, the Benchmarking Engineering Capacity across the Commonwealth project aims to identify the Commonwealth countries with insufficient local engineering capability and capacity to meet the level of country demand, created by challenges such as rapid urbanisation, climate vulnerability, development need, and the renewable energy transition. Using the reach of the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council, it will map the status of member countries’ local engineering capacity in relation to these challenges, to provide robust evidence for solutions and for future decision making.
UN Habitat has predicted that almost 50% of its projected increase in the world’s urban population to 2050 will happen in Commonwealth countries. As urbanisation is responsible for 70% of global carbon emissions, the consequences of rapid urbanisation on countries without the local skills and frameworks to build sustainably will be harmful to both people and the planet. Many Commonwealth countries, particularly small island developing states, are vulnerable to sea level rises, high temperatures, overcrowding and poor disaster recovery.
Vulnerable Commonwealth countries need skilled local engineers, strong professional frameworks, and adequately enforced codes of practice, alongside locally sourced sustainable materials and solutions, which are often overlooked in favour of carbon-intensive concrete and steel builds brought in by international contractors. There is limited visibility of the scale of the deficits. This project aims to address this knowledge gap.
Main activities for the project include:
The Benchmarking Engineering Capacity across the Commonwealth project is addressing a critical gap in global data on engineering skills and capacity. Too often, small and vulnerable Commonwealth countries are overlooked, despite facing the greatest risks from climate change and development pressures. By working collaboratively and drawing on the shared values and networks of the Commonwealth, this project is building the evidence needed to strengthen engineering capacity, inform investment, and support resilience where it is most needed."
Professor Dawn Bonfield MBE FREng Aston University
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