The “Zero Carbon Act” will be implemented from 2021, gradually altering the objectives and
constraints driving professional engineering practice in New Zealand. Sluggish reductions in
New Zealand’s emissions to date indicate that we are yet to:
a) recognise and adopt the engineering constraints associated with the climate crisis,
b) envision and evaluate future options for preserving the climate, and
c) generate practical projects that result in a significant reduction in fossil energy use.
Transition Engineering is the interdisciplinary field that addresses these problems. Key
Transition Engineering concepts are summarised in this paper, then used to identify
implications for structural engineers over the coming decade.