Planetary Health in Engineering: building a community

Planetary Health (PH) is a transdisciplinary domain from the point of view of its foundations and its actions. A core principle is that everyone has a role, as the São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health clearly states. Engineering as a professional field can considerably promote a better relationship between humankind and the planet. Engineering transforms the world based on scientific knowledge in order to improve our lives. However, in doing so, it can negatively impact the planet because of a lack of consideration of the multiple aspects involved in a project, for instance. There are many examples, good and bad, of how engineering and engineers have impacted our lives and our planet. That is why it is crucial to bring this community as an essential ally to achieve planetary health. That is the proposal of Planetary Health in Engineering, a group created within Planetary Health Brazil, to promote discussions, practice, and adoption of PH principles into engineering courses, research, and practice. We started with a core group of faculty and students, most of them from different areas of engineering from the Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo, and with seed funding from the Amigos da Poli Endowment Fund. Initially, we are developing outreach materials that explicit the connections between engineering and PH. Podcasts, texts, and seminars that showcase examples of professionals and projects are also important to corroborate such objectives. The exercise reveals that PH already underpins many engineering