A defining characteristic of professional engineers and technicians is that they have committed to behaving in a professionally and socially responsible manner and in accordance with ethical codes.

All professional engineers and technicians are bound by the Codes of Conduct of their professional engineering institutions.  The Engineering Council has issued guidelines setting out the issues which all such Codes of Conduct must cover. 

The Engineering Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering have also jointly published a Statement of Ethical Principles, which amplifies some aspects of the guidelines.