The civil engineer’s responsibility to the public good
ICE members have a duty to conduct themselves honourably, to be honest and to make a positive impact on their profession and wider society.
These obligations form the basis of the ICE Code of Professional Conduct, which sets out the standards of ethical behaviour by which all members must abide. In this podcast, you can learn more about the code and its importance.
After listening to this podcast, you will:
The code, which can be viewed in full on the ICE website, is reviewed regularly.
The latest update, in Q2 2026, has ensured its relevance to current practice, aligning the code with the latest industry standards and ICE strategy. Key revisions include a stronger emphasis on environmentally sustainable practice; an explicit mandate against bullying and harassment; and advice on behaving with integrity when using AI.
The code includes six Rules of Professional Conduct, along with guidance on how to interpret and apply them.
The rules are as follows:
1. All members shall discharge their professional duties with integrity and act in a manner that upholds the reputation and standing of the institution and the engineering profession.
3. All members shall have full regard for the public interest, particularly in relation to matters of health and safety, and to the wellbeing of future generations.
4. All members shall have full regard for the environment and for the sustainable management of natural resources.
5. All members shall develop relevant professional knowledge, skills and competence on a continuing basis and give all reasonable assistance to the further education, training and continuing professional development of others.
6. All members shall:
(a) Promptly notify the institution upon receipt of a criminal conviction, or an adverse civil court judgment or equivalent in any applicable jurisdiction, related to any aspect of the code.
(b) Promptly notify the institution if they have had membership of another professional body terminated as a result of a disciplinary procedure.
(c) Promptly notify the institution upon becoming bankrupt or disqualified as a company director, charity trustee or equivalent in any applicable jurisdiction.
(d) Promptly notify the institution where the member, in good faith, believes that there has been a significant breach of the Rules of Professional Conduct by another member.
(e) Promptly notify the employer or relevant authority where a member has a genuine concern and they are protected under whistle-blowing or similar good-faith reporting legislation.
(f) Support a colleague or any other person to whom the member has a duty of care who in good faith raises a concern covered by rules 6d or 6e.
(g) Fully engage with the disciplinary process in the event that the member is accused of misconduct.
The following podcast explains the meaning and significance of the rules, focusing particularly on rules 2, 3 and 4.
Civil engineering covers a wide range of specialisms, each of which requires deep study and continuing bespoke training and development
Gordon Masterton, University of Edinburgh
Linking our work back to the UN SDGs is a core part of the ICE’s plan and mission. This content ties in with the following SDGs:
