World leaders will again gather at the COP28 conference in the United Arab Emirates for a critical debate on climate change, seeking to collaborate to accelerate global climate action.

Chemical engineers are uniquely placed to support this drive to create a just and sustainable future. Working across a range of industries and sectors together right across the globe gives chemical engineers the knowledge to lead and influence change. Chemical engineers will continue to take action to mitigate and adapt to the adverse impact of greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2022, IChemE updated its climate change position statement. First published in 2020, this statement recognised that chemical engineers are ideally placed to help reverse the catastrophic impacts humans are currently imposing on the life support systems of our planet. The statement contained a number of commitments and initiatives for IChemE, and working groups are now progressing with the actions identified. During the 2022 review, the volunteer committee determined that the statement was still relevant with only one update being required. The update strengthened the requirement for members’ continuing professional development (CPD) to include activities which provide the knowledge and skills to support members and their organisations in the transition to a net zero carbon economy and in climate change adaptation.

What is IChemE doing?