Climate & Sustainability

Engineers and geoscientists play a key role in addressing the challenges, risks and opportunities of climate change and sustainability. Integrating climate change and sustainability considerations into professional practice reflects Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Code of Ethics requirement to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public and the protection of the environment.  

Our Role

As the regulator for the province’s engineering and geoscience professions, we are committed to supporting registrants in incorporating climate change and sustainability considerations into their practice. This work is driven by our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan which recognizes social responsibility as an important imperative in pursuit of our vision.  

We have undertaken several initiatives to clarify why climate change and sustainability must be considered in professional engineering and geoscience practice, and how registrants can meet this professional obligation. You can read about them below: 

• Position Statement (2025) and associated FAQ - articulates our stance on climate change in alignment with our Strategic Plan and regulatory mandate and sets expectations for registrants.
• Organizational Climate Change Strategy (2025) – operationalizes our Strategic Plan and advances our vision articulated in the Position Statement. The Strategy aims to address climate change proactively, both within our operations and through our regulatory activities.
• Climate Change Action Plan (2021) – developed prior to the Strategic Plan and Organizational Climate Change Strategy, outlines how we support registrants in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. While this plan outlines goals to support registrants in their professional practice, their integration into operational and regulatory activities was later clarified through our Organizational Climate Change Strategy.

Resources to Support Registrants

Engineers and Geoscientists BC has developed several resources to support registrants in incorporating climate change and sustainability considerations into their professional practice, including:  

• Climate Change Information Portal – a searchable collection of tools and resources such as modeling data, case studies, and assessment guides, mostly from external sources.
• Firm Practice Enhancement Program (Sustainability) – a program to help firms integrate climate change and sustainability considerations into their practice.
• Professional Practice Guidelines – Sustainability – guidelines to assist registrants in meeting their professional obligations.
• Other Professional Practice Guidance documents, as relevant to specific areas of practice.
• Continuing Education (CE) resources on the Knowledge Centre – a platform to access on-demand webinar recordings and courses developed to help registrants meet their regulatory and ethical learning requirement.

How You Can Contribute

Registrants interested in contributing to the professions by advancing climate action and sustainability in professional practice may do so by participating in one or more of the following activities: 

• Support the development of new professional practice guidance documents on the topics of climate change and sustainability, by submitting your request via the Request for Guidance
• Submit a proposal or a suggestion for a climate change and sustainability-related CE session, including case studies, evolving regulatory requirements, new technologies, best practices, communications and leadership learnings. Access the seminar submission form here
• Submit a new resource to be added to the Climate Change Information Portal by emailing it to [email protected]