Integrating sustainability into chemical engineering Education: Experiences from imperial college London

Abstract

With the sustainability transition actively underway in society, there is a strong impetus for higher education institutions to provide suitable learning opportunities for their students. Chemical engineers are especially well-positioned to contribute to many sustainability efforts, building upon their domain knowledge and skillset. The effective integration of sustainability into a chemical engineer's education journey requires holistic consideration at the programme level to ensure that students graduate with the right technical and professional skills. This article aims to outline current practices at the Department of Chemical Engineering, at a London-based, research-intensive institution, and share our current thinking on the next steps. We hope to foster a conversation among chemical engineering educators worldwide about the best way forward in teaching sustainability.