Ethical culture and practice should become further embedded in the engineering profession in the same way as health and safety considerations, according to a new report which sets out recommendations to maintain public trust in engineers.
The report from the joint Engineering Ethics Reference Group established by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council calls for a step change in ethical decision-making within the profession.
It groups key recommended actions under five themes with the overarching aim of increasing awareness of ethical issues among engineers and fostering a culture of ethical debate and accountability.
Ever-growing societal expectations coupled with new advances in technology mean engineers must continually evaluate how ethical behaviours need to improve and evolve, it says, as the profession balances tensions between profitability, sustainability and safety concerns.
“Engineers act in the service of society, making decisions that affect everyone, from small-scale technical choices to major strategic decisions that can affect the lives of millions and even the future of our planet,” said chair of the Engineering Ethics Reference Group, Professor David Bogle. “We want to make sure that ethical practice is at the heart of all these decisions.
“Our vision is that UK engineering ethics principles and practice are regarded nationally and internationally as world class, with ethics embedded in engineering culture such that society can maintain confidence and trust in the profession.”
He added: “Realising this goal will require collaborative action and shared responsibility. But this is essential if we are to retain public trust and attract young people into the profession who truly reflect the diversity of society and who will help achieve a sustainable society and inclusive economy that works for everyone.”
The report’s five themes are summarised as follows:
- Leadership and accountability – Maintain the profession’s position and recognition as a leader in driving ethical standards and practice forwards, where leadership means encouraging behaviours that can be practised across all levels of the engineering profession, not just by senior members.
- Education and training – Support and maintain a consistent and coherent approach to improve the quality of how ethics is understood by those in the engineering profession.
- Professionalism – Engage with the profession to maximise adoption of professional values, ethics and practice. Encourage engineers to ‘think ethics before action’. Maximise the number of professionally registered individuals in the engineering community to uphold ethical practice and increase the accountability of individuals against ethical standards.
- Engagement – Maximise engagement with society and industry to foster public awareness of ethics in engineering. Stress the centrality of ethics to the engineering profession, promote debate and learn how this may influence ethical responsibilities.
- Governance and measurement – Understand ethical culture in the engineering profession, benchmark against and learn from other professions, and set targets and develop tools and guidance for future improvements.
The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council have agreed to take forward the proposed actions with the support of the professional engineering institutions and a new governance framework is proposed to manage this process.
To read the full report, click here.