The global demand for more modern and climate-friendly infrastructure is rapidly increasing, driven by the urgent need to meet the Paris Agreement Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to address the wicked problem of crossing our planetary boundaries. However, significant challenges remain in mobilising and enhancing the world’s engineering capacity and capability to deliver sustainable, resilient, and inclusive infrastructure. Addressing these challenges requires not only an increase in the number of engineers and other built environment professionals but also a focus on updating their skills, knowledge, and access to appropriate tools and standards.

This position paper assesses the current state of global engineering capacity and capability and explores the necessity of and difficulties in reliably measuring and monitoring the engineering workforce’s ability to plan, build, and manage infrastructure that aligns with the SDGs. The paper reviews existing data and research on the availability and competencies of engineers worldwide, focusing on the key themes of sustainability, resilience, climate change, and sustainable development. Over 120 references and 100 capacity-building initiatives are reviewed to assess how well current education and training programmes address these crucial areas. The paper highlights inconsistencies and limitations in data regarding the engineering workforce, the need for a cohesive framework for engineering competencies, and the evolving focus of engineering education on sustainability, resilience, and climate action.

The paper identifies critical gaps and makes action-oriented recommendations to shift to a proactive, coordinated, and systemic planning approach to the development of the future engineering workforce globally.