Since completing the consultation in 2013 on developing its future vision, IEMA has been working to reposition itself to ensure it is equipped to build a community of professionals who are willing, able and empowered to transform the world to sustainability.
This involves:
- broadening its scope, while protecting the core focus on environmental management and assessment;
- growing the membership around the world; and
- arming members with the knowledge and skills to make changes to survive the challenges facing organsations and outlined in IEMA’s Preparing for the Perfect Storm report.
Part of this repositioning is a refresh of membership standards and structure. The institute has been working intensively for more than two years to create a ‘future-fit’ choice of memberships, which brings together new levels of meaning, value, relevance and service for members and employers. The review stage of work is coming to an end, details of the opportunities the new structure will bring are on their way and a new structure will be in place from mid-June.
IEMA chief executive Tim Balcon explained how the review and relaunch of the member levels have been driven by changing demands – both from members and their organisations: ‘What we have done here has been absolutely member-led. During the Vision 2020 consultation members told me loud and clear that they needed – not wanted – their membership to be more meaningful, more rewarding and better recognised by business. With the help of members, employers and trainers we have taken that direction and totally reshaped IEMA around it. This is a really exciting time and I am very much looking forward to shortly revealing the end result.’
Full information on the new structure will be revealed soon. Members will be advised about how their individual membership status is set to be enhanced and better recognised.
IEMA will also provide details for all members to take to employers and clients to help explain what their membership level says about them in terms of their knowledge, experience, skills and ambition.
Watch out for e-mails from IEMA over the next few weeks to find out what is changing and how it will affect you.