Record-breaking response to IEMA survey
IEMA's latest round of research closed in early March with the highest response ever to a survey from the institute.
The “What do you value” survey asked members to rate and comment on the membership services and features they value and used over a two-week period.
By the closing deadline (4 March 2011), 2,912 members had completed the online questionnaire. This fantastic response is the largest that IEMA has ever experienced.
The previous best, for the 2007 salary survey, achieved 2,759 responses. However, the response rate in 2007 was 29%, higher than the 22% response rate for the “value” survey.
The difference is because IEMA had approximately 3,000 fewer members in 2007. The recent IEMA practitioners’ survey, which included the pay and benefits information published in the March issue of the environmentalist, had 2,318 responses.
Both the “values” and “practitioners” polls demonstrate that more and more members are contributing to our surveys and research. We hope this trend continues and that an increasing number of members choose to take part when they next see an invite from IEMA in their inbox.
IEMA would like to thank all of the 2,912 members who took the time to respond to the values survey. Your views and comments will now be used to help shape IEMA’s future membership services. We will be letting all members know the outcome of the survey over the coming months.
Member views included in new energy-efficiency report
Research and findings from IEMA featured in a new influential report launched at the House of Commons and reported in the environmentalist in March.
Carbon Connect’s report, entitled Energy Efficiency: The Untapped Business Opportunity, used evidence from IEMA’s 2010 greenhouse-gas (GHG) management and reporting special report – which was based on a large-scale survey of members – to support its own findings.
The report also draws on the findings of three evidence sessions where individuals, organisations and business leaders presented information on the challenges of improving energy efficiency, the greening of energy supply, and the finance and implementation of projects.
In addition to supporting mandatory GHG reporting, the report builds on IEMA’s GHG management hierarchy and calls on the government to deliver energy policy in line with the priorities of an energy hierarchy of “Avoid, Reduce, Substitute, Compensate”.
Drawing on IEMA research, it also acknowledges the potential of environmental management systems for achieving carbon and energy savings, along with the importance of skills and the essential role of sustainability professionals.
The Carbon Connect report is further recognition of IEMA members’ views across the mandatory carbon-reporting issue and the value of our shared voice.
The Institute welcomed its publication. Policy director Martin Baxter said: “Environmental practitioners working within business will welcome this report as further recognition that their role makes a real difference. Businesses that are managing energy as a resource are seeing real benefits from enhanced productivity and competitiveness.”