September 17, 2008

International Federation of Consulting Engineers

Wallace urges engineers to lead sustainability efforts

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

Engineers need to become leaders as well as doers in the drive to achieve sustainable development, said Colorado consultant Bill Wallace, president of Wallace Futures Group.

“This is not some flash-in-the pan concept,” said Wallace, who chairs the sustainable development committee of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and helped draft FIDIC’s project sustainability management guidelines. “This is the most critical issue of the 21st century.”

He is moderating a panel discussion on environmental stewardship and sustainability at FIDIC’s upcoming annual conference in Quebec City.

While the engineering industry is uniquely equipped to address these issues, Wallace said there is resistance to change and a reluctance to step outside traditional comfort zones.

Wallace, whose “Becoming Part of the Solution: The Engineer’s Guide to Sustainable Development,” is considered a bestseller by the American Council of Engineering Companies, said engineers need to move up the project food chain and exert more influence with clients.

He set up his own firm five years ago after spending 21 years at CH2M HILL.

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