Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group
The challenge of sustainability is a social problem, and an engineering problem, but also an economic problem. With this in mind, the EESG invited Prof Paul Ekins, Director of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London to speak at their annual lecture.
A full lecture theatre in No. 1 Birdcage Walk heard that, while perpetual physical growth is impossible, there’s no theoretical limit to GDP growth. World population increase, coupled with food, water and energy demands will, however, globally impact GDP.
An example was a recent drought in the US which has destroyed one-sixth of the country’s expected corn crop in a month threatening a surge in global food price inflation. Therefore there is a clear requirement for the decoupling of GDP growth from resource use and environmental impact.
More scientists are alive now than have existed up to this point. Will engineering and innovation solve this or will technology only take us further from sustainability unless we are very careful?
Prof Ekins considered a number of predictions and developments, such as further deployment of bioenergy, decarbonisation of electricity and demand reduction technologies. However, it was pointed about that this change will not be driven by technological factors, but political factors.
An engaging debate followed the lecture. The belief that ‘the engineering profession gives a sense of a “way out” of climate change’ was re-iterated. But are these statements true without also changing our approach to economics? Do we understand how and what engineering changes might be needed?
The EESG would like to thank all for attending. We hope this is the beginning of closer ties with Prof Ekins and his colleagues, building an understanding of the best approach to sustainability and indeed providing real-world solutions to real-world problems.
Read Prof Ekins' presentation.
Prof Paul Ekins has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of London and is Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy and Director of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London. He is also Deputy Director of the UK Energy Research Centre and from 2005-10 was Chairman of the UK’s National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP).
He was a Member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution from 2002-2008. He also has extensive experience consulting for business, government and international organisations, and has been a regular contributor to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales' course for senior executives on business and the environment.
In 2011 he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the DG Environment Commissioner’s High-Level Economists Expert Group on Resource Efficiency, and in 2012 a member of the European Commission’s European Resource Efficiency Platform. In 2012-14 Paul Ekins was the Chair of the UCL Green Economy Policy Commission. In 1994 Paul Ekins received a Global 500 Award ‘for outstanding environmental achievement’ from the United Nations Environment Programme.
Paul Ekins’ academic work focuses on the conditions and policies for achieving an environmentally sustainable economy, concerning which he has written numerous books, papers and articles.