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The guest was Ania Lopez, Member of the WFEO Executive Council and Theme leader of the Committee on Women in Engineering.

    Mel De Gioia 0:25

Welcome to Engineering Leaders Mini Series in the lead up to the very first World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2020. This mini series is being supported by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations. My name is Melanie and my co host and our podcast’s resident engineer is Dominic. Today’s episode is on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number Seven, Affordable and Clean Energy.

    Dom 0:49

Our guest today is originally from Cuba but has lived in Italy for more than a few decades. She is a mechanical engineer and a Counsillor of the Italian national Council of Engineers and a member of the board of directors of Foundation of National Council of Engineers in Italy. Our guest has presented at many WFEO conferences, most recently in Melbourne, Australia. Speaking to us today about affordable and clean energy is Ania Lopez.

    Mel De Gioia 1:18

Ania cannot imagine a world without engineering. Could you? She believes engineers are in service to society to find solutions to problems dealing with the environment, sustainable structure, IT and security.

    Guest 1:33

I think that is the profession of engineer is the most beautiful of the work, is my opinion.

    Mel De Gioia 1:40

Can you tell our audience a little bit about what UN SDG seven, affordable and clean energy is about?

    Guest 1:48

I think that this energy is very, very important in the agenda.

 

The goal seven, energy is the centre to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today.

 

Security, climate change for production, job increases and income, sustainable energy generate opportunity, is for me the life. Economy on the planet is very, very important the energy, okay.

 

Drastically reduce the fossil fuel and providing everyone with access to green energy in sufficient quantity to need to do this Seven Goal indicates in the agenda.

Energies can make an important contribution not only for from economic and social and ethical point of view.

 

For example, in the concrete you see an eco sustainable materials for the construction work in the building site. Using the system to reduce for example, the pollution by using recyclable products on the, for example the specifical name is this circular economy okay. For example Italy, the government introduced in the buliding site, public building site, green public procurement. This is the system to enforces environmentally products or service. I introduced the rule on the public job, okay. And the product and service that have a long word and reduce effect and the human health, environmental compared to other products and service associated with the same purpose. Okay, this is the rule for all engineering Italy to work with the government.

    Dom 3:48

What was your inspiration in aligning your work to affordable and clean energy?

    Guest 3:52

My inspiration in this case, my personal vision, I think about my family, my daughter.

 

I think about what the future will they have if we don’t work to improve it.

 

We live in very complex facets of human society, social development, where technology gives us they take us away. We have to find compromise with above the new generation. Moreover we are aware that this resource, we have not infinite and is necessary to create the solution. I think as an engineer is a role – very, very important in this goal and other goal of the agenda.

    Mel De Gioia 4:44

Yeah, it’s very important, as a parent, you kind of want to leave a good world for your children. It does shift your focus a little bit. As an engineer, what’s an example of a project that you’re working on, that’s leading towards an affordable and clean energy?

    Guest 5:01

For example, I see I think that is the tangible achievable goal with for example the Mini car manufacturer. For example, they try to produce machine with a hybrid electrical engine.

 

A lot of car industry change the mentality today introduced the new type of engines because that is necessary for today.

 

The pollution in the city the first with the engine of the car of the heating and if necessary change the mentality with the client, with the enterprise with the producer of the car. And this is very, very important because not only change the consumption of fuel, fossil fuel and the quality of the air of the city for example, in Italy have a problem with Rome, with Milan and the traffic, okay, because it’s not possible and have the misery every day with the quality of the air. And it’s very, very important in agenda is not a specific goal, with this I make the point, but this is a relationship with energy, with a consumption.

    Mel De Gioia 6:27

Are you working in the car industry?

    Guest 6:30

No, I not work in the car industry but I have this research, I present the research three years ago ago in London in the conference, I work together with Toyota and say that any small that I have talked about with in my city and work with the building side and control show with their pocket in the electric car, incentive is unmotivated. With my client with both the home and introduce the new offered with I present the home the new home with highly designed okay and I presented the political and talk about with the problem I have two parts to send my visit inside okay with my colleagues I not only worked in this project, the name is Casa de Qualita, quality home, okay on analyse all include all okay and a clean energy, renewable energy. Okay,

    Mel De Gioia 7:35

So that’s something that you presented three years ago in London was it?

    Guest 7:41

This is that project because every year, the World Federation of Engineering Organisations organised the conference with all engineers present the specifical objectives of the goal, okay. I participate in a different conference. I talk about, for example, the last year I talk about with biomass in Europe in Slovenia Ljubljana, in Lisbon, okay. In Australia and Melbourne, talk about with renewable energy with energy okay. But I have seen this change in mentality of the people. Okay. This is a very, very important, okay. It’s not only engineer, government is the international organisation, I think this is

 

the first step is by the people, the community and the government, the political of the government is very, very important.

 

    Dom 8:47

Yeah, I agree. Once you get the people changing their mind, their mindset and pushing it, then everything else will fall into place as well. It’s much easier to make governments do what you want when all the people are doing it.

    Guest 9:03

And for example the people use the bicycle not car please. Now it’s better for for all.

    Dom 9:12

So what do you hope to achieve in 2020 in regards to this UN SDG?

    Guest 9:17

When I talk about introduce, I seen that with the law okay with the government, use the electrical and hybrid engine in the car introduce with the law because it’s not a lot of the government is very difficult that people know and analyse the situation and I see them for example reduce for example with in the home use with heating okay and open air unchanged depend on the weather. That is, is whether analyse but create for example, a seminar, a conference with the people. Engineers have a good opportunity and in this school of the students I will explained for example 10 years ago, I present of my students the hydrogen engine and explained very quickly because one hour. This is very important under the relationship with agenda with energy goal, but you know, listen to agenda I don’t know? No this is important. This student and the mother of the student and the family because this increase the culture with the people, okay. It is not only engineer is not only my friend, understand this is a big problem, a big problem and consumption.

    Mel De Gioia 10:50

So are you hoping to talk to some governments to get them to support the Clean Energy cars and move that forward in 2020?

    Guest 11:01

Yes, for example I talk about with Italy and Europe. Europe introduced the specific project of our energy. For example, I work in the CNI, the Consular National Engineers. Our relationship with the government the Department of the Government, but is not in Italy is not Energy Ministry, it is a different ministry and talk about this topic. Okay. And work together with university work for this research. And work together with government, research university, the engineer on the organisation to introduce a new topic a new law, okay and discuss with the political of the Parliament and introduce the good opportunities with the family for the reduced consumption on the work together because I think that is only government is impossible. You need the engineer this specific person or people to a study the subject and explain very easy to all and the government and the political understand what is the possible solution okay. I seen that is not immediately but state by state with probably a creative way because it’s necessary.

    Dom 12:41

Thanks for speaking with us. It was wonderful.

    Guest 12:42

Sorry for my English.

    Mel De Gioia 12:46

I love it. We’ve been… with this series, we’re talking to engineers from all around the world. So it’s wonderful to hear the strong Italian accent.

    Mel De Gioia

And thank you for tuning into Engineering Leaders as we prepare you for the first World Engineering Day on Sustainable Development, which is going to be held every fourth of March. We hope you’re enjoying our mini series which is brought to you with the support of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations. The best way for you to show your support for our show, is to tell people, either in person or write a review. Just spread the word. Seriously, it is that easy. We look forward to you and your friends joining us next time when we bring you another episode with one of our engineering champions.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Ania Lopez is originally from Cuba but has lived in Italy for more than a few decades. She is a mechanical engineer and a Councilor of the Italian National Council of Engineers and a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of National Council of Engineers of Italy

Ania has presented at many WFEO Conferences, most recently in Melbourne, Australia, during the WEC 2019.