My career: Joe Somevi
Joe Somevi's describes how showing the financial benefits of environmental management has been key in his successful career
Joe Somevi
Sustainability officer, Aberdeen City Council and Abderdeenshire Council
Why did you become an environmental professional?
To continuously improve my knowledge and skills in the sustainability field.
What was your first environment job and how did you get it?
Manager of environmental business and regeneration at a London-based charity. I visited and challenged a community-based charity about the benefits of integrating the environment into a business.
I was then given a few months to prove my point and to shape the charity along environmental lines. The charity soon made substantial profits and retained me as their manager.
How did you progress your environment career?
I built on my success in London to shape strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in Aberdeenshire and the city of Aberdeen. Environmental management experience, membership of IEMA and a PhD in SEA put me into the position initially.
A demonstration of more than £1.5 million savings in a very short time, as well as winning Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in 2006 for the project, swayed my employers to convert a temporary SEA-focused position to apermanent and broader sustainability position.
What does your current role involve?
It involves developing resources, raising awareness, training officers and support staff, and coordinating and monitoring the delivery of SEA and habitat regulations assessment.
How has your role changed over the past few years?
In 2005, the emphasis was on resource development, awareness raising and auditing of plans, programmes and strategies. Between 2006 and 2008, the emphasis shifted to training, delivery and integration of SEA.
Since 2008, in my role as sustainability officer, I have contributed to a broader sustainability agenda, including climate change. I have developed courses on socio-economic impact assessment, and collaborated with others on an integrated impact assessment toolkit.
What’s the best and hardest part of your work?
The best bit is when awareness on SEA has cascaded from senior management to officers to such a degree that it is the officers themselves who are taking the initiative to ask to carry out SEAs in support of the planning policy statements (PPS) they are developing, rather than you chasing them. The hard bit is trying reach those officers who do not get “the message” no matter how hard you try.
What was the last development/ training course/event you attended?
DECC offshore energy strategic environmental assessment 2 – stakeholder workshop.
What did you bring back to your job?
I now hope to adopt the format used in identifying potential effects of PPS alternatives within the context of SEA topics.
What is/are the most important skill(s) for your role and why?
You need skills in people and organisational management as well as leadership. Project and resource management are key to the success of my role, and skills in collaborative and interdisciplinary working are essential.
Where do you see the environment profession going?
I see the profession expanding: the number of environmental jobs aligned to national and EU legal obligations in the public and private sector will grow, and jobs in climate change, carbon management and community projects are likely to increase too.
Where would you like to be in five years’ time?
I hope to build on my experience in a private practice and complete some publications on SEA practice in Scotland.
What advice would you give to someone considering going into the environment profession?
Aspirants should be patient, creative and current. They should also remain relevant. For a start, you should be willing to volunteer.
Career file:
Qualifications:
BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, MRICS, MRTPI, MIEMA
2008 to now:
Sustainability officer (SEA), Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council
2005–08:
SEA officer, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Scottish Enterprise Grampian
2002–05:
Manager, Queensbridge Trust, London
1987–97:
Lands officer/senior lands officer, Lands Commission, Ghana