Shanghai Declaration Released at WFEO 2025 GA & GEC

From 12 to 17 October 2025, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations 2025 General Assembly and Global Engineering Congress (WFEO 2025 GA & GEC) was held in Shanghai，co-hosted by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government.

Under the theme “Engineering Shapes a Green Future”, the Congress aimed to explore how engineering and technology can be leveraged to address climate change, drive green economic growth, and accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Today, rising poverty, hunger, and inequality,the tangible threat of climate change are still pressing challenges in the development process.The engineering community must assume greater responsibility than ever before.

With only five years remaining until 2030, the engineering community pledge to harness the full power of engineering through unprecedented speed, scale, and in-depth cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, the Pact for the Future, and the Global Digital Compact.

Engineering and technology, as a key driving force, will lead the way in addressing development bottlenecks and unlocking new momentum for global growth.

Action Statement

In line with this commitment, we pledge to the following actions:

1. Green Transformation of Engineering: A Core Objective

We reaffirm that engineering is the core force to achieve the SDGs. We will advance a comprehensive green transformation, proactively expanding the social responsibility of engineering.

We will treat the carrying capacity of ecosystems as a non-negotiable constraint in engineering practices, accelerating economy-wide emission reduction (SDGs 12, 13) and safeguarding biodiversity on land and in oceans (SDGs 14, 15), thereby protecting our planet as the common home of humankind.

We will prioritize social equity and justice in engineering practices, foster resilient cities, communities, and infrastructure (SDG 11), and catalyze industry innovation and decent work (SDGs 8, 9), building harmonious societies that are more inclusive and beneficial.

We will ensure the right to survival and development as the fundamental goal of engineering, accelerate the eradication of poverty and health risks (SDGs 1–3), and guarantee fair access to food, clean water, and affordable energy (SDGs 2, 6, 7), advancing the common well-being of all humankind.

2. Innovative Solutions: An Engine for Development

We affirm that innovation is the engine for achieving the SDGs through transformative leaps. We will innovate in a context-specific manner to effectively solve problems using appropriate technologies.

We will push the frontiers of technology with responsibility, driving social transformation through advances in digital, biological, clean energy, and materials science technologies.

We will draw from local wisdom to spark innovation, cultivating innovative and dynamic solutions that are rooted in local communities, land, and culture.

We will harness nature-based solutions, leveraging the growth and self-repair power of nature to strengthen ecological security and societal resilience.

3. Engineering Capacity Building: An Endogenous Driver

We recognize that the sustained enhancement of engineers’ capacities is the foundation of all above-mentioned actions. We will balance development and security and continuously deepen our understanding of sustainable development to unleash engineers’ potential to the fullest extent.

We will deeply integrate technology for good, global perspective, and interdisciplinary innovation capacity into engineering education and continuous professional development.

We will promote the integration of engineers into the heart of policy and decision-making processes, integrating engineering wisdom at the earliest stage into global governance.

We will break down barriers of gender and age, support the development of women and young engineers, foster an inclusive environment, and unlock the full potential of diverse perspectives.

4. Global Partnerships: A Powerful Bond

We reaffirm that the challenges to human survival and development can only be overcome through strengthened cooperation. We commit to building diverse partnerships, enhancing mutual learning and exchange in engineering culture and practices, and jointly fostering an open and inclusive global ecosystem for engineering cooperation.

We will promote open access, data sharing, and the efficient global flow of best practices.

We will find the right balance between innovation and governance, collaboratively promote the reliable application of emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, and foster a safe, trustworthy, and controllable development ecosystem.

We will promote greater interoperability among international and national engineering standards to reduce the cost of cross-border services.

We will accelerate the bilateral and multilateral mutual recognition of engineering qualifications to facilitate the mobility of talent.

We will support and promote North–South, South–South, and triangular cooperation and foster experience exchange and technological solidarity to build strong global innovation linkages through the bonds of engineering.

Source: Global Times