Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) is a national, non-profit network committed to building a better world. Established in 2002, ESW is comprised of 2,000+ students, university faculty and professionals who are dedicated to building a more sustainable world for current and future generations.
We believe engineers can be a vital part of the solutions needed to meet global human needs while providing sustainable access to the world's resources for current and future generations.Developed countries contribute to millions of tons of pollution and waste each year, while every day, people around the world struggle to gain sustainable access to clean water, healthy food, and suitable shelter.
Through collegiate chapters across the United States, ESW mobilizes students and faculty members through new educational programs, sustainability-oriented design projects, and volunteer activities that foster practical and innovative solutions to address the world's most critical challenges.
Our Unique Approach
A holistic approach to "global sustainability"
ESW addresses problems in both developed and developing communities. We focus on finding more sustainable ways of living to address the challenge of over-consumption, often prevalent in developed nations, as well as increasing sustainable access to basic resources for those who are living in poverty. We believe in building a better world where all of humanity can lead healthy, productive lives, and live in balance with our earth.
Engineering as one part of the solution
We believe that engineering is a critical part of the key to building a more sustainable world; however, in order to be effective, we must: a) understand past successes and failures of human development; and b) work in partnership with economists, sociologists, entrepreneurs, and other key actors in affecting and sustaining human progress.
Mobilizing student engineers through campus and curriculum-based projects
We believe that student teams are most effective, reliable, and technically sound when they are supported by their local institution. ESW facilitates the development of campus-based projects that are usually curriculum-based, through which students receive academic credit for their sustainable engineering work, and are supervised by faculty and professionals.
Partnering with local organizations for lasting and replicable impact
ESW believes in forming partnerships to coordinate sustainable development projects, where knowledge is exchanged and local organizations are empowered. Although individual people and communities benefit from our work, ESW believes that lasting solutions can only be attained by building the local organizational infrastructure to provide services such as clean water, sanitation, and energy. Furthermore, by working with local organizations, we increase the scale and impact of our efforts. For example, in Honduras, by working with a local organization of Honduran engineers and technicians, ESW has improved the quality of water for hundreds of people in dozens of communities, as compared with in just one village. Furthermore, the local organizational partners gain further capacity to maintain and improve these systems, because they are involved throughout the project lifecycle.
