Sustainable communication: Implications for industry

At the dawn of the 21st century, industry, not least the chemical industry, faces new challenges in terms of its communication with the public. Sustainability emphasizes a need for a new relationship between the engineer and society. This paper discusses the basis of this new relationship in terms of the changing expectations of the public regarding opportunities to be involved in decision-making, increasing personal access to information with the development of information technology, and the declining basis of trust in industry and decision-makers. The paper reviews the new processes of public participation which stress the provision of greater opportunities for debate and dialogue. It considers how the industry may utilize sustainable communication, and the implications not least in terms of expertise and the training of engineers.