A Retrospective Look at Sustainability and Engineering Education

Abstract

While the term sustainability in engineering education has been in use for more than three decades, engineering institutions have been lax in understanding how to incorporate sustainability as an integral part of engineering lexicon. This paper takes a retrospective look at the important issues from the ground up – the challenges facing engineering institutions including accreditation and curriculum reform, the myths surrounding sustainability, engineering education and climate change, and what can and should really be done to make undergraduate engineering education play a crucial role in solving the enormous problems faced by society brought about by unsustainable practices. Contrary to popular belief, there is an important role for all engineering disciplines to play in solving societal problems.