ASME Introduces Committee on Sustainability to Strengthen Climate Initiatives and Drive Global Impact

NEW YORK (October 23, 2023) – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has announced the establishment of its Committee on Sustainability, comprising 11 experts from a variety of industry sectors, research disciplines and policy experience appointed by the ASME Board of Governors to help accelerate the Society’s response to climate change. The Committee is responsible for ensuring that ASME has a robust sustainability strategy informed by evidence and supported by qualified leadership.

“With support from this committee of experts, ASME’s climate strategy will drive climate impact through policy, technology and innovation, and workforce initiatives,” says ASME Executive Director/CEO Tom Costabile. “We are grateful for their collaboration. We share their passion for advancing humanity through engineering and the belief that there is more we can be doing to leverage our collective resources for climate action.”

The Committee’s role includes developing impact reporting and evaluation frameworks, collaborating with and empowering ASME sectors and volunteer leaders, providing insights and data driven recommendations on sustainability strategy to the ASME Board of Governors, and advocating and building relationships with external stakeholders to advance ASME’s climate strategy, “which will continue and elevate our work supporting society’s climate goals and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals– to which ASME has been committed since their inception,” says Costabile.

Leading the ASME Committee on Sustainability are chair Sean Bradshaw, senior fellow of sustainable propulsion at Pratt & Whitney and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University, and vice chair Timo Marquez, sustainability marketing manager for Saint-Gobain.    

Bradshaw is based in the U.S. with a primary focus on the development of advanced aircraft propulsion technologies that enable the industry to reduce its footprint. He is the immediate past chair of the Gas Turbine Association, a member of ASME Gas Turbine Technology Group, and an associate editor of the ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power.

Based in France, Marquez’ career has evolved around defining, developing, and implementing sustainability initiatives for the built environment. He is past chair of the ASME Technology and Society Division and a current member of ASME’s Engineering for Change (E4C) Innovation Steering Committee.

 ASME Committee on Sustainability members at large include:

Asha Balakrishnan
Assistant Director, Science and Technology Policy Institute

Cristina Contreras Casado
Founder and Managing Director, Sinfranova, and Researcher and Instructor, Harvard University

Francesco D’Amore
Postdoctoral Researcher and Consultant, University of Southampton

Craig Hart
Executive Director, Pace University Energy and Climate Center

Bob Hauck
Chief Mechanical Engineer, GE Healthcare (retired)

Alain Lefevre
Sustainability Strategy Director, Schneider Electric

Ryan Macpherson
Climate Innovation and Investment Lead, Impact Investing Lead, Autodesk

Twish Mehta
Senior Director, Engineering and Enterprise Decarbonization, Loblaw Companies Limited  

Deepa Poduval
Senior Vice President, Global Advisory Practice and Sustainability, Black & Veatch

For more information on ASME’s climate strategy and the Committee on Sustainability, visit https://www.asme.org/about-asme/climate-change and https://www.asme.org/about-asme/climate-change/committee-on-sustainability.
 

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. In 2020, ASME formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) II & III LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community. For more information, visit www.asme.org.