Engineering against the climate crisis: assessing the awareness and engagement of South African engineering professionals in climate mitigation and adaptation

Introduction Engineering professionals are central to climate action because their decisions shape infrastructure, energy, water, transport, industrial, and built-environment systems that influence greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilience. This study assessed the awareness, training, engagement, and perceived responsibility of South African engineering professionals registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Methods An exploratory mixed-methods cross-sectional survey was conducted, combining quantitative analysis of closed-ended responses with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. The final dataset comprised 783 valid responses. Results Although 72.1% ( n = 545) of respondents had not received formal climate-related training, trained respondents were more likely to report participation in climate-related projects than untrained respondents. Among trained respondents, 67.8% ( n = 143) reported participation, compared with 34.5% ( n = 188) of untrained respondents. A Chi-square test confirmed a statistically significant association between training and participation [χ 2 (1, N = 756) = 68.43, p < 0.001]. The Mann-Whitney U-test also showed that trained respondents had stronger perceptions of professional responsibility in climate action ( U = 48,985, p < 0.001). Discussion Survey and thematic findings showed widespread but not unconditional support for ECSA to strengthen climate-related training, collaboration, guidance, accreditation, and professional conduct frameworks while avoiding unnecessary regulatory burdens. The study highlights the need to expand climate-related professional development and regulatory guidance to enhance engineering professionals' engagement in mitigation and adaptation and support South Africa's climate resilience objectives.