The Great Environment Briefing

The context in which engineering expertise is now deployed focuses on sustainability: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The UK has more than sufficient renewable energy absolute potential for self-sufficiency in heat, fuels and electricity. Since 1989, the investment in water services has been one of the most successful utility improvement programmes and in recent years this has been added to with the increased investment in flood risk management. As the UK moves from waste to resource management in order to reduce environmental impacts, it will face different and more difficult challenges for the future. Despite having moved on from the great smogs that filled our cities, the UK still has problems with air pollution. Today, the main source of pollution is road transport and despite developments in vehicle technology, the benefits of these are being out stripped by ever-increasing traffic levels.