IEMA

THANK YOU to all our valued members for another wonderful year of working together to action change for a more sustainable future. 🎄 IEMA's office will be closed over the holiday period from 5pm GMT Mon 23rd Dec & will reopen on 2nd Jan. We wish you a restful break & look forward to 2025!

TRANSFORM NEWS: Mission impossible? The challenges for local authorities to build 1.5 million homes A new housing target set by the government to build 1.5 million homes in England in the next five years, is at the heart of the strategy for growing the economy, but leaves local authorities scrambling to find considerably more development sites than they had envisaged... “A County Councils Network (CCN) survey reveals that 94% of authorities believe the targets are “excessive”, leading to a 56% rise in new homes required each year. On average, county and rural areas will have to deliver an extra 1,245 homes per week, or 64,769 a year...” What will this look like if it all goes ahead? What do this mean for the 'grey belt' areas and plans to “enhance the #greenbelt”? Freelance journalist @Huw Morris reports for IEMA's TRANSFORM: https://bit.ly/41J336k

Great way to wrap up 2024 IEMA #NorthWest events. Last steering group meeting of the year and a social event at #brewdog in #Manchester. 🍻🎄 Great to meet soo many IEMA members this evening. Soo many possibilties if we keep the momentum and communications channels open! #inperson events are soo important to build new relationships and #makethingshappen Looking forward to what 2025 brings! Claire Brown, Chris Wilson, Mathew Chard, David Hoare, Katie Atherton BSc PIEMA, Lex Massey #iema #ISEP #environment #sustainability #Netzero #environmentprofessionals #iso14001 #ghgreporting #networking #positiveimpact

WEBINAR: What does #COP16 outcomes mean for business? IEMA attended the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP16 Colombia this year to engage in discussions around #greenskills and the #nature and #biodiversity. In this webinar, IEMA's Policy and Engagement Lead on Biodiversity and #NaturalCapital Lesley Wilson talks to businesses and the UK's lead negotiator at COP16 to find out: -> Key outcomes from COP16 -> Progress of the Global Biodiversity Framework and national strategy and action plans -> Why COP16 is relevant to business and links to the climate #COP 29 -> How business can be part of reducing business risk and enhancing nature -> What happens after COP16 has finished? Book now to join the discussion Jan 14: https://bit.ly/4iLAoDs

Great to see this from our #GreenCareersHub supporter, The Historic Environment Forum (HEF) today, providing guidance and best practice for helping the heritage sector reach #netzero. The heritage sector consists of organisations and private owners that support research, conservation, presentation, enjoyment and use of features, buildings, objects, landscapes, stories and traditions inherited from our past. Find out more about the Heritage sector, how they're addressing climate-related challenges, ways to enter the sector and a case study from The Crown Estate on our dedicated Green Careers Hub page: https://lnkd.in/eEiKPDHd

Are we moving from the "Polluter Pays Principle" to a "Pay to Pollute Principle"? IEMA has questioned government plans to allow developers to bypass their obligations to mitigate #environmentalharm to speed up planning permission by paying into a new Nature Restoration Fund. Ben Goodwin, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at IEMA, said: "Principally the government is saying pay into this pot for wider strategic enhancement of the natural environment and you can crack on and build ... this is the opposite of the ‘mitigation hierarchy’. "There is a huge risk that environmental safeguards are weakened without high-quality, evidence-based impact assessment in the planning process. "The UK has an opportunity to get this right: to build high quality development in the right places, in the right way, for the benefit of society and the environment alike." Read IEMA's full reaction here: https://bit.ly/3VLJJ4G

IEMA London & South East Online Coffee Morning We’re back and better than ever with our infamous online coffee morning – but this time, it’s a Challenge Clinic! Got a tricky sustainability problem that’s been keeping you up at night? Not sure where to start or how to tackle it? Don’t worry—you’re not alone! Join us for this collaborative session where you’ll: ✅ Share your challenge in a safe, supportive space ✅ Brainstorm solutions with a diverse network of sustainability professionals ✅ Gain fresh perspectives and actionable ideas. A problem shared is a problem halved, and this is your chance to tap into the expertise of your peers and turn obstacles into opportunities! Date: Wednesday, 22nd January 2025 Time: 10:00 - 11:00 GMT Location: Via Microsoft Teams Don’t miss out—secure your spot now and bring your toughest questions to the table. Let’s solve them together!

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE: Action Plans for ESOS Compliance. Energy management is now more important than ever with increased operational costs, challenging markets, and of course, the #climatecrisis. A change in the UK Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) Regulations has meant that all participants in the Scheme must now complete an additional ESOS action plan. This paper takes a look at one of the key regulatory regimes affecting large organisations and aims to provide organisations with guidance on what they need to do and how best to do it. It explores: -> The legal minimum requirements -> What an energy action plan is and where to start in developing one -> Practical ideas for getting buy-in -> The types of corporate energy efficiency measures to investigate -> Considerations when assigning responsibilities -> Tips for implementation and reporting. This new IEMA guidance has been written by IEMA’s Climate Change and Energy Steering group members Helen Sprakes and Georgina Phillips IEMA's Senior Policy and Engagement Lead on Climate Change and Energy, Chloë Wallington Fiddy upacks the paper in her blog: https://bit.ly/4iJOAgk

What have been the most common challenges for sustainability professionals in 2024? At the start of this year, we asked 28 in-house #sustainability professionals about their work and state of wellbeing and they outlined five common challenges which included: -> #Ecoanxiety -> Internal #greenwashing -> Loneliness -> Imposter syndrome -> Career progression Find out more and gain insights on how to support sustainability professionals with IEMA's #GreenCareersHub: https://bit.ly/3ZVNgzK Katherine Ellsworth-Krebs, PhD (Coach for Sustainability Professionals and Chancellor’s Fellow in Sustainable Design at the University of Strathclyde) Heather Lynch (Coach and Facilitator for Sustainability Professionals) Shona Russell (Senior Lecturer in the School of Management at the @University of St. Andrews and Co-Director of the @Centre for the Social and Environmental Accounting Research).

Renewable energy technologies are ethical ... right? Solar photovoltaic (PV) is set to be the world’s largest source of electricity by 2050, with renewables providing the cornerstone for net zero efforts across the globe. However, the risk of modern slavery and forced labour in the supply chains of ores and minerals grows highlights a significant enslavement risk attached to decarbonisation and the problem of what to do with #solarenergy farms at the end of their life. We spoke with leading voices in the field of #circularrenewables in our latest IEMA Transform issue to better understand the issues and what can be moved from theory to practice: https://bit.ly/4gAfWUn Dr Georgiana Allison FIEMA CEnv FHEA, head of sustainability, Lancaster University Ana Rute Costa, professor of sustainable architecture Lancaster University Anne Johnstone AIEMA, head of ESG at Vital Energi Utilities Limited Dr Charlotte Stamper, strategic partnerships manager EMR IEMA and the University of Leeds recently created an investigative series of webinars looking at the circularity of materials in renewable energy infrastructure, with insights academics, standards bodies, businesses, civic organisations and policy makers working at the cutting edge of innovative circular solutions for renewables. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4ihToJw