One of the objectives of the 2021-2024 IES Strategy: Guiding Transformative Change is to create and sustain a knowledgeable, skilled, diverse, and trusted environmental profession engaged in the transformation to a sustainable society.
In pursuit of that objective, the IES has been working over the past 18 months to reform the resources we offer to members to support the development of skills and knowledge relating to policy, regulation, and influencing more sustainable behaviours and approaches. Last year, we worked with members to identify the most pressing skills needs, including issues such as policy interpretation and analysis, understanding regulation, and engaging and influencing policy stakeholders.
Now, the IES has released the first series of policy resources to help provide upskilling for members, published across three brands:
- Environmental Policy Skills: these 'red papers' will help to introduce the skills needed to engage in policy, from awareness to influence (member only);
- Forward View: these horizon scanning briefings update members on recent and forthcoming policy developments linked to a core natural system, such as air, land, or water;
- Topic-specific briefings: these briefings each focus on a specific topic, providing environmental scientists with policy information and decision makers with environmental insights;
Policy Analysis & Awareness: An introduction to environmental policy
This is a briefing paper for IES members, providing a short introduction to some of the ways that environmental professionals can become more aware of environmental policy and how they can analyse its effects on their work.
While providing an overview of all the basics necessary for environmental professionals to begin engaging in policy analysis, this paper should be viewed as an introduction to the wider range of policy-related skills needed for greater engagement in policy.
Read the resource (members only).
Horizon Scanning: Air Quality Policy
This IAQM/IES briefing paper, published in May 2023, covers policy relating to air pollution and indoor and ambient air quality. In recent years, the importance of air pollution has been increasingly recognised, with a series of legislative and governance developments. As such, there are multiple opportunities for positive engagement with policy and decision makers.
The paper is intended for IAQM and IES members to encourage awareness of relevant policy issues, support horizon scanning for environmental professionals, and identify opportunities to engage with decision makers and the public on emerging issues linked to air pollution and the wider environmental sciences.
Read the briefing.
Horizon scanning: Water policy
This is a briefing paper on environmental policy relating to water resources and systems, including both freshwater and marine environments. In recent years, critical policy developments in environmental governance, including the Environment Act 2021 and England’s new Environmental Improvement Plan have created multiple opportunities for positive engagement.
The briefing is intended for IES members to encourage awareness of relevant policy issues, support horizon scanning for environmental professionals, and identify opportunities to engage with decision makers and the public on emerging issues linked to water and the environmental sciences. This briefing was first published in March 2022 and has been reissued for June 2023.
Read the briefing.
Environmental Improvement Plan: What's coming up in your specialism?
This briefing outlines the broad implications of the EIP for each specialism of the environmental sciences, as well as the policy decisions that IES members can expect to be influencing their work as a result.
This briefing has been released as a pre-released chapter of an upcoming IES policy report: ‘Progressing or regressing: the future of environmental science under new UK governance’.
Read the briefing.
Policy Training
These training sessions, held every 6-8 weeks, will give participants the skills they need to engage effectively in the complex environmental policy landscape.
Each session focuses on a different environmental specialism, giving participants a grounding in policy and techniques to influence decision-making, as well as the context to understand how policy decisions shape their work and the wider environment sector.
This training will be suitable for environmental professionals working in the land sector who are interested in policy and becoming more influential. All levels of experience and familiarity with policy are welcome.
Recent consultation responses from the IES:
Get involved
- If you want to support the work of the IES to shape the future of the environmental sciences, you can join as an affiliate, or if you’re a professional in the environmental sector working with science, consider becoming a member of the IES.
- Get in touch to find out how you can get involved.
- Sign up to our next training session.
- Sign up to the EPIC Mailing List for information about the new Environmental Policy Implementation Community.
Header image credit: © carles - Adobe Stock
