Engineers urged to consider environment in works

The President-elect of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Ludwig Annan Hesse, has advised engineers across the country to always pursue environmental sustainability in their works. 

That, he said, would increase their value in their respective fields because pursuing sustainability offered engineers a unique opportunity to contribute significantly to resource efficiency, particularly in an era marked by the depletion of natural resources.

They are also able to promote a culture of innovation because by keeping the environment at heart, they cut down waste, reduce environmental footprints and develop new technologies and processes that optimise resource use and ensure that resources are conserved for future generations.

“Be socially responsible and apply environmental sustainability in all your works as this will increase your value in the profession you have chosen,” he said. 

Event

Mr Hesse was speaking at the induction ceremony by the GhIE to welcome 152 new engineers into their ranks in Accra, last Thursday. The ceremony marked the engineers’ formal acceptance into the respected community of professionals by validating years of rigorous education and training and recognising their technical competence and ethical commitment.

It, therefore, comes with the responsibility to uphold high standards of practice and ethics, prioritise public safety, and engage in continuous professional development while offering access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and collaborative platforms, supporting both individual growth and the advancement of the engineering profession.

After swearing the Engineering Oath, the inductees received certificates symbolising their official recognition as professionals in the field.

Mr Hesse advised the inductees to adhere strictly to the body’s code of ethics and practice, which included desisting from advertising their work. He equally urged them to be active members of the institution so that they could be recommended to the Engineering Council for the renewal of their licences.

Membership

The Chairman of the Membership Committee of the GhIE, Dr Patrick Amoah Bekoe, said, the Constitution, in line with ACT 819, made provisions for four main occupational groups, namely Professional Engineers, Professional Engineering Technologists, Engineering Technicians and Engineering Craftsmen.

He added that the past three years had seen an increase in membership of the Engineering Craftsmen Occupational group while the intake of the Professional Engineering Technologists and Engineering Technicians Occupational groups had not been encouraging.

To mitigate this, Dr Bekoe disclosed that the Membership Committee had stepped up its outreach activities to increase admission for the two occupational groups.

The Immediate Past President, Rev. Professor Charles Anum Adams, advised the engineers to uphold integrity and honesty, and continuously improve their skills by taking part in Continuous Development Programmes organised by the institution.