ErTanSengChuanCommittee
Climate change is posing massive challenges to the world. Extreme weather episodes are increasing in frequency and intensity around the globe. In Europe, just this year, UK experienced its harshest winter in more than 60 years and one of its worst floods in seven years. In America, the U.S. endured two of its deadliest and costliest storms in the past decade. In Asia, Typhoon Haiyan wrecked devastation in Philippines and resulted in the loss of more than 7,000 human lives.
At home in Singapore, over the past year or so, we recorded our longest dry spell, together with Malaysia and Indonesia.Wherever you are in the world, climate change is no longer a distant issue wreaking havoc in someone else’s backyard. It has become a real and growing problem threatening our comfort, security and in some cases, survival. No region, country or individual is spared from its ill effects.

It is no longer enough for the world to adopt a wait-and-see approach, as climate change will only continue to hurl greater damages our way with inaction or procrastination. Urbanization without restraint of carbon emissions will only cause temperature and seawater levels to rise faster, weather patterns to become more erratic and properties and lives to suffer greater destruction.

But mitigation of as complex and colossal a problem as climate change could never be achieved in isolation. For this reason, IES initiated the World Engineers Summit, or WES, in September 2013, as we see the need to create a platform for engineers and other professionals from around the world to exchange ideas and knowledge that would be vital to driving positive action against the effects of climate change.

As the national society of engineers in a country that places climate change as a critical national issue, IES wants to fulfill our mission to advance and promote the science, art and profession of engineering for the well-being of mankind through WES.

Building on the important conversations initiated at the inaugural event in 2013, WES 2015 will focus on seeding discussions on sustainable urban development for global climate resilience. The event will also present the Climate Change Expo 2015 – a regional showcase of the latest sustainable and green engineering solutions that could act as valuable game-changers in the battle against climate change.

Join us and be part of a driving force that could alter the trajectory of climate change and give the world a sustainable future.

Er. Tan Seng Chuan,
Chairman, Steering Committee,
WES 2015