Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
Name	Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
Formation	1990s
Type	Professional membership body
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom; international
Leader title	Chief Executive
Parent organization	Chartered Institution of Environmental Management and Assessment

Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment is a professional membership body for practitioners in environmental management, sustainability, and climate-related fields. It operates within a network of advisory, standards, and accreditation institutions and engages with public bodies, private corporations, and nongovernmental organizations to promote environmental best practice. The institute provides certification, training, policy input, and sector-specific guidance while interacting with international bodies and regulatory agencies.

History

Founded in the 1990s during a period of rising attention to sustainable development, the organization emerged alongside institutions such as United Nations Environment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth, and the European Environment Agency. Early interactions included collaborations with United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio+20, Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change Convention, and national agencies like Environment Agency (England and Wales) and Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The institute developed its frameworks at the same time as standards bodies such as International Organization for Standardization, BSI Group, ISO 14001, and professional bodies including Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Over time it extended ties to academic institutions like University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and policy centers including Chatham House and Institute for Public Policy Research.

Mission and Objectives

The institute's stated aims align with global agendas promoted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Sustainable Development Goals, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, and Paris Agreement. Core objectives include developing practitioner competence linked to ISO 14001 and ISO 45001-related frameworks, advising stakeholders such as UK Parliament, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, European Commission, and corporate actors including BP, Unilever, Tesco, and HSBC. It emphasizes integration with reporting regimes like Global Reporting Initiative, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and sectoral schemes like Forest Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council.

Membership and Certification

Membership tiers mirror professional institutions such as Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and Institute of Environmental Sciences and Research. Certificatory pathways reference competency frameworks comparable to Chartered Environmentalist registration and link to assessment protocols used by Association for Project Management and Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Members include practitioners from organizations like National Grid plc, British Airways, Royal Mail, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens, as well as consultants from firms such as Atkins, Arup, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and KPMG. Accreditation processes involve panels with experts from Natural England, Historic England, and academic reviewers from London School of Economics.

Programs and Services

The institute offers training, continuing professional development, and qualifications comparable to courses run by Open University, University of Edinburgh, and University College London. Programs address themes intersecting with initiatives by Climate-KIC, Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust, C40 Cities, and ICLEI. Services include auditing and benchmarking influenced by ISO 14064, sustainability reporting advice tied to Global Reporting Initiative, net-zero planning aligned with Race to Zero, and biodiversity net gain guidance referencing Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar). Sectoral guidance spans infrastructure projects associated with High Speed 2, urban regeneration linked to Greater London Authority, and supply-chain work involving Port of London Authority.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures reflect models used by bodies such as Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, with boards, professional panels, and independent trustees often drawn from entities like Environment Agency (England and Wales), Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, British Standards Institution, and major universities. Funding streams combine membership fees, training revenue, consultancy contracts, and grants from funders such as National Lottery Heritage Fund, European Investment Bank, Department for International Development, and charitable foundations like Wellcome Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Compliance and audit processes engage firms like Ernst & Young and PwC for financial oversight.

Partnerships and Global Activities

The institute maintains partnerships with international organizations including United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, International Finance Corporation, and regional bodies like European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Asian Development Bank. Collaborative projects have linked to city networks such as C40 Cities, ICLEI, and national programmes in countries represented by Ministry of Environment (Brazil), Ministry of the Environment (Japan), Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan), and Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China). It engages in capacity-building tied to initiatives by Global Green Growth Institute and Green Climate Fund.

Impact and Criticism

The institute has influenced practitioner standards cited in reports by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Audit Office (UK), and parliamentary committees including the Environmental Audit Committee. It has contributed to corporate sustainability policies at firms like Unilever and IKEA and to public procurement frameworks used by Crown Commercial Service and local authorities such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Criticisms mirror debates involving Greenpeace International and Friends of the Earth over reliance on voluntary standards versus statutory regulation exemplified by disputes around Paris Agreement implementation, greenwashing allegations similar to controversies faced by Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation and calls for stronger enforcement akin to proposals in Environment Bill 2020. Detractors have urged closer alignment with statutory regulators and more transparency in funding akin to reforms advocated in reports by Transparency International and The Guardian.

Category:Professional associations in the United Kingdom