Green professionals increasingly confident of their positive impact

There has been a sharp rise in the number of environmental professionals that are confident their jobs are having a positive impact, a biennial survey by Society for the Environment has found.

Around one-third of the 615 respondents said they are confident they are having a large impact in delivering environmental protections, up from less than a fifth in 2017.

Optimism around job security has also increased, with 32% saying they were positive they could find equivalent employment in the next month, a 3% rise from two years ago.

And the findings suggest that membership of professional bodies is viewed in higher regard, with 70% saying they think or know their employer values their membership, up from 62% in 2017.

This was reflected in 63% of the respondents having membership paid for by their employer, a 10% increase from two years prior.

Society for the Environment is comprised of 24 licensed bodies with over 500,000 members, including IEMA, and is responsible for Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech) registers worldwide.

CEO, Dr Emma Wilcox, said: “Registrants and employers are placing increased value on registration, which is hugely encouraging in envisioning a future where registration is an industry norm.

“The competence requirements set out within CEnv and REnvTech mean that registrations are key to ensuring high standards. We are pleased to see professionals looking ahead to the many challenges we face with optimism.“

When respondents were asked what the Society for the Environment could share more of, best practice guides and greater Continuous Professional Development opportunities were the most popular choices, cited by 55%.

In response, the group has created a dedicated 'Knowledge Hub' section on its website.

This has been developed to serve as a hub of information and expertise – sharing good practice guides and insightful expert-led webinars and podcasts, alongside other great sources of information and advice,“ Wilcox said.

We are always on the lookout for more sources to share. We are also looking to expand our CPD opportunities – so watch this space.“

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