IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) is the professional body for everyone working in environment and sustainability. We're committed to supporting, encouraging and improving the confidence and performance of all of our members, helping them to enhance their profile and recognition.
In response to the alarming findings of the 2017 Policy Exchange report, which revealed the glaring lack of diversity across environmental professionals in the UK, IEMA took decisive action by launching the Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI) in 2021. Recognising the magnitude of the issue, IEMA understood that meaningful change required a collective effort and so the DSI was conceived as a collaborative effort, with a mission to educate and connect, uniting over 30 partners within the environment and sustainability profession. Together, DSI partners are committed to driving change and fostering diversity within the sector.
Crucially, IEMA is at the forefront of this initiative, providing financial backing and establishing dedicated networks, such as the People of Colour network and the LGBTQIA+ network, which are open and accessible to IEMA members and non-members who identify with these characteristics and work in a relevant role or organisation. Beyond internal support, IEMA is dedicated to advocating for broader systemic change and extending support to other organisations striving for inclusivity. Moving forward, there is a firm commitment to expanding these networks to encompass a broader spectrum of under-represented individuals within the profession.
A requirement for all DSI partners is to create an annual public commitment to diversifying the profession. In 2023, at IEMA, we made significant strides in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. We revamped our recruitment process to be fairer and more inclusive, implemented mandatory training for all staff on allyship, anti-racism and unconscious bias, and ensured gender pay equity through our commitment to regular salary benchmarking reviews. Additionally, we partnered with diverse job boards and enhanced accessibility in our digital communications, recognising the barriers with digital resources. As an organisation, we have also prioritised member feedback by actively addressing barriers identified in the IEMA State of the Profession Survey.
At IEMA, we recognise that enhancing inclusivity and diversity is an ongoing journey. Perfection is an unrealistic goal, but rather a dedication to continuous learning, growth and an annual commitment to diversity across all aspects. By staying committed to this path, we ensure that our organisation evolves in the right direction, embracing the richness of diverse perspectives and experiences.
Our goals are based on the following themes:
IEMA is committed to working towards the future goal of tracking the diversity of individuals applying for volunteering or speaker opportunities. By implementing this, we aim to provide everyone with an equitable opportunity and better understand how best to advertise or promote opportunities to reach diverse audiences.
By enhancing our inclusivity, we seek to encourage a broader range of voices and perspectives in important discussions, decision-making processes and throughout IEMA’s visual representation in communications.
As an organisation heavily reliant on digital resources to educate our members, we recognise the critical importance of accessibility. We are actively working to enhance accessibility across all our platforms, with the aim of enabling every member, regardless of their abilities, to fully participate and engage in our events, website and other resources. While we understand that this is a journey that won't be completed overnight, we are committed to making steady progress and encourage members to feedback on how we can improve.
Internally, our goal is to ensure that all staff members at IEMA are understanding of diverse communication styles. This awareness enables our team to cultivate inclusivity and accommodate various ways of working and communicating. By encouraging this understanding, we aim to create a more inclusive environment that embraces individuals with disabilities, those who identify as neurodivergent, or those with impairments.
We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success and we value the differences that a diverse workforce brings. We therefore commit to keeping up to date with relevant changes in policy and maintaining a consistent and fair approach to the recruitment of both staff and volunteers.
Alongside our commitments, we will ensure that we take on board any feedback received via the DSI’s people of colour and LGBTQ+ network and continue to listen to feedback from our members. We will also continue to submit our data through the RACE Report to ensure that we are transparent about our diversity data.
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