It’s amazing to see how much has changed over the last 25 years since IEMA was formed from a merger between the Institute of Environmental Assessment, the Institute of Environmental Management, and the Environmental Auditors Registration Association. 

It’s also worth highlighting how IEMA was ahead of the game in many aspects of environment and sustainability which more recently have come to the fore. 

Established with the objective of promoting the goal of sustainable development at its heart, it’s fascinating to see how sustainability has moved from a "desirable" to an "essential" part of our economy and society.

In IEMA’s evidence to the 2003 Environmental Audit Committee parliamentary inquiry into “Setting a Framework for Education for Sustainable Development”, there is reference to a project in early 2001 exploring the "desirability of establishing national Sustainable Development Standards", with findings reported to the Department for Education and Skills.

image
image

 

Fast forward to the present day and embedding sustainability and climate change into the curriculum has become more established, although further work is needed. 

In its early years, IEMA recognised the need to provide support for businesses in tacking climate change.  Our Practitioner series was launched in 2001 with the publication of “Managing Climate Change Emissions: a Business Guide” and climate change has, unsurprisingly, remained a high priority for IEMA ever since.


Published by:
image

Martin Baxter FIEMA

Deputy CEO

Martin Baxter is Deputy CEO at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). He works in the UK and internationally to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future and support people in the development of sustainability skills and green careers. Martin has national and international experience in developing and negotiating global and European environmental management standards and developing capacity for effective and widespread implementation. Martin heads the UK delegation to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) on environmental management and chairs the ISO environmental management systems committee of ~100 countries. He is also vice-chair of the European Standards CEN/CENELEC Strategic Advisory Body on the Environment. Martin is a Board member of IEMA, the Society for the Environment (SocEnv) and the Broadway Initiative.