What We Hold Paramount: A British Columbian Case Study on the Limitations of Engineering Regulation

Engineering regulators bear the legal and social responsibility to protect the public from the risks intrinsic to engineering work. Despite this mandate, Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (EGBC) has received criticism for its effectiveness in enforcing the Code of Ethics, contributing to the loss of some regulatory autonomy through the BC Professional Governance Act. This paper reflects on the role and effectiveness of engineering regulators in holding paramount the public interest, and the corresponding role of engineering educators to teach a critical perspective on the effectiveness of engineering regulators to their students. The public interest is examined primarily through examples such as climate change and sustainability where engineers play an enabling role. Recommendations are made on how to present a more balanced narrative on engineering regulators to students through proposed learning outcomes derived from the conclusion of the analysis.