Transforming the planet: Our vision for the future of environmental science
Environmental scientists will play a key role in facilitating the transformation to a sustainable society. Adapting to changing social, economic and environmental contexts will be imperative, to ensure that the workforce is in the best position to provide leadership in developing multifunctional solutions to the interlinked environmental crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
The Institution of Environmental Sciences’ (IES) year-long Future of ES23 project brought the environmental science community together to outline a pathway for achieving a positive future for people and the planet. The work was informed by extensive engagement with environmental professionals on the key areas shaping the sector and this document outlines these findings.
The vision is a future where environmental scientists are knowledgeable, skilled, diverse, and trusted. Their role is to help people to solve environmental challenges and co-create a sustainable society where people and nature thrive.
Executive summary
Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution are already having myriad impacts on the natural environment, with consequences for the social and economic systems that rely on a healthy environment. The environmental scientists of the future must be able to work in partnership to address challenges holistically. Humanity has reason to be optimistic about the future, as long as it takes the actions necessary to achieve that future.
Transformative change, underpinned by systems thinking principles, is a key part of realising that change. Understanding the leverage points within social and natural systems will be essential to embedding an integrated approach and supporting a transition to a sustainable society.
Sustainability is not possible without interdisciplinarity. To develop multifunctional solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges, environmental scientists need to work across specialisms and disciplines, reducing the likelihood of ‘single factor solutions’ with risks of unintended consequences.
The profession must act to realise this vision now; due to path dependency, the decisions made now will have a large impact on the future. The IES is committed to a leadership role in shaping environmental science and working with our members and partners to achieve our vision: a future for environmental science that will enable current and future generations to benefit from all that a healthy environment offers and where both humanity and nature flourish.
Further information and related issues
To find out more about the topic, you can read our Organisational Strategy and Theory of Change. You might also be interested in our specialist and challenge-led Communities, which are shaping the future of the environmental sciences in practice.
If you want to support the work of the IES, you can become an affiliate, or if you’re a professional in the environmental sector working with science, consider joining the IES.
Header image credit: © ihorvsn | Adobe Stock
