In this country, too few engineers get involved in public life. Yet engineers have a unique set of skills and perspectives that should be used to create a better future.

It was 100 years ago that the Model T Ford went into mass production. This marked the beginning of a transport revolution, when the car became available in large numbers and at reasonable cost. It was a revolution that changed the world. The work and home lives of billions of people have been shaped by access to affordable personal transport. The layout of towns and cities has become determined by cars and roads. The motor industry now plays a huge part in the economies of both developed and developing nations. The automobile has also been central to the growth of the oil industry, in which I have spent most of my career.

Engineers do not just build better cars, houses or mobile phone networks. Engineers change the way we travel, the way we live, how we communicate with one another. Engineers have the big ideas but they also plan and manage processes to make the ideas reality.

So what should an engineer know and be able to do in order to be effective? The bedrock of engineering will always be the application of mathematical and physical theory to create wealth and improve our quality of life. But engineering is far more than just applied science.

The essence of engineering is in its practice. The particular skills of engineers are developed by solving real world problems rather than becoming conversant in physical theory. The complex nature of engineering challenges means that engineers more often than not need to engage with communities, politics, economic realities and environmental considerations.

In the words of my colleague Lord Darzi: “Engineering is about the technological solutions to human problems.” This means that engineers must appreciate the nature of human problems as well as understand the technical aspects of their solutions.

The bigger the engineering challenge, the greater the need for judgment and empathy. It is a central feature of engineering projects that choices involve trade-offs. Engineers must work in imperfect circumstances that create competing demands.

An essential skill of the engineer is to be able to recognise the limits of her or his competencies and to procure expertise where necessary, working with experts from different sectors and cultures. I believe it is time to redefine the package that makes up the term “engineering skills”.

We must all work to ensure that the public – especially young people – understand the dynamic role of the professional engineer in shaping the future of society. Engineering students need to be awake to the broader impact of what they do. We must teach our engineers to understand the workings of business, politics and public policy. We must prepare students for real-world problems in all their complexity.

The mind of an engineer is fertile. It is no coincidence that engineers are in such high demand from other sectors of the economy, for engineering at its best involves a way of thinking that balances creativity and scientific rigour with the need for practical, workable solutions. I firmly believe that opening minds to the wider issues that engineering encompasses will help university engineering departments to continue to attract the best students.

Returning to Ford’s innovation of a century ago, to a great extent the need for oil results from our reliance on the motor car. However, events might have transpired differently. When the Model T was created, it could have run on either gasoline or ethanol. Gasoline was chosen for a number of reasons that had little to do with engineering – including “prohibition” in the US, which restricted the production of ethanol, and the falling price of gasoline.

The effects of that choice have been as significant as the advent of the motor car itself. Gasoline is a high-carbon fuel. Burning it releases greenhouse gases, the consequences of which we are only now beginning to understand. The choice of gasoline also required the addition of an agent to allow the engine to run smoothly. That agent was lead, the presence of which in fuel has led to significant levels of harmful local pollution.

Gasoline’s predominance, which has little to do with pure engineering, has had profound consequences for mankind. It has helped create what I believe is today’s greatest engineering challenge: combating climate change. Perhaps we could now be running cars on renewable, low-carbon fuels if things had developed differently.

My view is that engineers must be more involved in thinking through the impact of society on their work, and of their work on society. Engineers cannot predict the future. But we can use our expertise to have a positive influence. The engineers of tomorrow are professionals who will revolutionise the way we live through their ingenuity and their humanity.

Lord Browne is president of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This article is based on a lecture Thursday at Oxford university