Engineering is a subject that ranges from large collaborations to small individual projects. Almost all engineering projects depend on some sort of financing agency: a company, a set of investors, or a government.
By its very nature engineering is connected with society and human behavior. Every product or construction used by modern society is influenced by engineering design. Engineering design is a very powerful tool to make changes to environment, society and economies, and its application brings with it a great responsibility. Many engineering societies have established codes of practice and codes of ethics to guide members and inform the public at large.
Engineering projects can be subject for discussion. Examples from different engineering disciplines include the development of nuclear weapons, the design and use of Sport utility vehicles and the extraction of oil. In response, some western engineering companies have enacted serious corporate and social responsibility policies.
Engineering is a key driver of human development. For example, Sub-Saharan Africa in particular has a very small engineering capacity. Therefore, many African nations are unable to develop infrastructure without outside aid. The main goal nowadays is to achieve sufficient engineering capacity to develop infrastructure and maintain technological development.
Today there are a lot of different charitable organizations which aim is to use engineering directly for the good of mankind. Among these organizations are the following ones: Engineers Without Borders, Engineers Against Poverty, Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief, Engineers for a Sustainable World.