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In the previous issue of Transform, I wrote about IEMA’s submissions to select committee inquiries focused on housing growth and clean energy jobs.
Now that the committees running those inquiries have published our evidence, we are able to share it more widely.
Our submission to the Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry on housing growth is at www.bit.ly/housing-growth-IEMA.
It focuses on the need to ensure that high-quality impact assessment remains a central feature of the new planning system for the government’s house-building programme.
Our response to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s inquiry on workforce planning for clean energy is available at www.bit.ly/clean-energy-workforce. We made the case for a broader green jobs approach – in effect, making clean energy jobs provision part of a strategic approach to greening the workforce as a whole.
We continue to deliver our public affairs roundtable series to bring our members closer to parliamentarians active in the skills and sustainability space. In a session with Lauren Edwards, co-chair of the Skills, Careers and Employment All-Party Parliamentary Group, we outlined the need for an integrated green jobs plan.
Lastly, I have been representing IEMA at the Council for Sustainable Business (CSB), the government body responsible for engaging the business community in implementing the Environmental Improvement Plan, including the revised version due to be published this summer.
CSB is interested in case studies, ideally international, that demonstrate how businesses have benefited financially from investing in environmental and nature projects. Please email your stories to [email protected].
Ben Goodwin AIEMA
Director of Policy and Public Affairs
Environmental management underpins successful sustainability actions.
In a new paper published by IEMA, How Environmental Management Can Deliver Value to Organisations, chair Matthew Goldberg and others from the IEMA Environmental Management Network set out the benefits for organisations of a systematic approach to understanding, measuring and managing environmental impacts.
Of the top 10 long-term risks identified in the World Economic Forum’s The Global Risks Report 2025, five are environmental.
The IEMA paper gives an overview of what an environmental management system is, how it can benefit organisations, how it fits into other management systems, and the value of environmental management to operations.
The paper is aimed at non-environmental/sustainability senior executives and managers, but it can be used by all sustainability professionals to build business cases or simply to share with key decision-makers.
Environmental management is a well-established tool that can improve environmental systems and processes, resource efficiency, innovation, and legal and regulatory compliance, as well as positively contribute to sustainable development.
Using this kind of auditable framework can help to measure progress over time, support iterative thinking, and show employees, customers, partners and regulators how the company is managing its environmental risks and taking advantage of opportunities. It can help organisations plan for an uncertain environmental future.
Understanding what is material can drive value in the environmental management system. The materiality of the risks and opportunities previously identified will shift with time and, as an organisation’s maturity grows around environmental management, the lens it uses to identify and assess value will change and grow too.
This new paper from IEMA is invaluable in setting out the case for environmental management and how it can add value to the processes, targets and outcomes of an organisation, for all non-experts and decision-makers.
The paper is available at www.bit.ly/environmental-management-value
Lesley Wilson AIEMA
Policy & Engagement Lead
Sustainability is often associated with environmental efforts, but social sustainability is an equally vital component in shaping a better future.
Following feedback from our members on the increasing focus on the social aspects of sustainability in their work and organisations, IEMA set up a steering group to help guide and inform our approach to policy and advocacy as well as help shape and share best practice.
The group has published its first guide, The Social Sustainability 101, which sets out key terms and positions them in the wider concept of sustainable development for all.
The guide’s key message is that true sustainability cannot be reached without ensuring that people live fulfilling lives on our finite planet, now and in the future, with equal access to resources, opportunities and wellbeing.
Social sustainability initiatives focus on fairness, equity and community empowerment. They help tackle complex issues such as diversity and inclusion, fair labour conditions, access to education and healthcare, and community cohesion. Organisations are now recognising that they have a responsibility to contribute positively to society.
The business case for social sustainability is also clear. Companies that prioritise employee wellbeing, ethical supply chains and social responsibility often see increased productivity, stronger customer loyalty and enhanced brand reputation. Socially responsible businesses not only mitigate risks such as modern slavery or supply chain volatility, they also attract top talent.
Visit www.bit.ly/Social-Sustainability101 to read the full guide.
Agnes Chruszcz
Policy & Engagement Lead
The IEMA Impact Assessment Climate and Greenhouse Gases Working Group has responded to the UK government’s draft supplementary guidance on assessing scope 3 emissions from offshore oil and gas projects.
Emphasising the urgency of aligning with the UK’s net-zero targets and the Paris Agreement, we advocate for robust environmental impact assessments that include a ‘do nothing’ baseline scenario, comprehensive scope 3 emissions accounting and clear criteria for evaluating significance.
The response highlights concerns over the current guidance’s lack of clarity on mitigation measures, cumulative effects and the assumption of substitution effects.
We stress the need for transparency, accuracy and adherence to established good practices, urging the government to ensure that all emissions, wherever they occur, are accounted for under UK responsibility. The call aims to strengthen climate resilience and support sustainable development.
IEMA responds to planning and assessment reforms
The UK government has continued with, and accelerated, the proposed planning and environmental assessment reforms that have been debated in 2020-2024.
IEMA has continued to respond to key consultations, and, in recent months, has published responses to the following planning-related matters:
At the time of writing, we are awaiting the publication of the Environmental Outcomes Reports roadmap. We are also currently working on the response to the Land Use Framework consultation.
To get involved in shaping IEMA policy responses, join the Impact Assessment (IA) Network or consider applying to join the IA Steering Group, which recruits members annually.
Visit www.iema.net to read our responses in detail and other crucial impact assessment policy engagement.
Rufus Howard FIEMA
Policy & Engagement Lead
