Environmental Policy Implementation Community
Supporting and delivering effective environmental policy
Delivering change
The Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC) brings together members from across the environmental sciences to share their experiences and call for ambitious and deliverable policy, as well as providing members with the knowledge, insights and tools to help them deliver on the ground.
EPIC believes that the development of effective policy depends on combining the knowledge and experiences of those who shape and formulate policy with that of those who implement policy in practice.
Joining EPIC
In recognition of the tight budgetary constraints on local government, as well as increasing demands from new policy regimes such as mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, and Environmental Outcomes Reports, the IES has made membership of EPIC free to any environmental professionals working in local authorities. Further details are available in the FAQs below.
Highlights from EPIC
EPIC FAQs
EPIC membership includes:
- Webinars, workshops and conferences, provided at a free or reduced rate to members
- Briefings and reports on environmental delivery challenges. Members can shape these by joining working groups or responding to consultations and surveys
- Support on implementation skills and good practice, informed by our implementation science project
- Quarterly EPIC member newsletter, providing updates on the latest EPIC activities and opportunities, as well as implementation-relevant IES and sector news
As with other IES communities, all IES members can join EPIC. In October 2024, EPIC membership was extended to local authority environmental professionals, in recognition of the tight budgetary constraints on local government, as well as increasing demands from new policy regimes such as mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, and Environmental Outcomes Reports.
If you are not a local authority environmental professional then you will need to join the IES in order to join EPIC. Membership is for individuals only.
A local authority employee who works in the environmental profession, for example, in one or several of the following areas:
Acoustics | Air Quality | Built Environment |Climatology and Carbon Management | Conservation and Ecology | Education and Training | Energy | Environmental Management | Forestry and Landscaping | Heritage and Archaeology | Impact Assessment | Land Condition | Marine and Coastal | Odour | Sustainability | Transport | Waste Management | Water
This does not include elected representatives.
If you are unsure whether you are a local authority environmental professional, please contact EPIC's Policy Officer, Ellie Savage ellie@the-ies.org
EPIC is governed by the EPIC Committee, which makes decisions and sets the direction of the community. Various working groups and forums take on specific issues and workstreams. Currently, EPIC has:
- BNG Working Group
- Implementation Science Working Group
- The Sound, Noise & Vibration Forum
Community Coordinator
Other communities
The Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) is a charitable organisation; a global professional membership body for environmental scientists.
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