IEMA sets out policy asks in advance of party conference season - August 2023

In advance of the party conference season, IEMA is setting out a range of key policy asks that we would like policymakers, in partnership with business, to prioritise throughout the remainder of the year and heading into 2024. In this short blog, Ben Goodwin, IEMA’s Head of Policy, explains more.

Over the course of the last 12-18 months, IEMA’s policy and practice member groups have identified several areas in which action is required to address the many challenges that we face in relation to the ongoing climate change and biodiversity crises.

Additional insights have also come from our public affairs roundtable series, with the Institute having welcomed government ministers and their shadow counterparts to speak to our members on a range of important topics related to the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment.

Roundtable conversations have focused on things like net zero delivery and the implementation of the Environmental Improvement Plan, through to the long-term need to adopt circular approaches across UK industry and commerce.

The result is a succinct document that puts forward policy recommendations on climate change and energy; biodiversity and natural capital; impact assessment; circular economy; and green jobs and skills.

A handful of the recommendations contained within the document include the need for policymakers, with support from business, to:

• Establish a permanent cross-government body that takes a strategic approach to delivering green skills and jobs growth in the UK that is tied to our long-term climate and environmental goals.
• On Nature Positive, take a lead internationally and mandate business to monitor, assess and disclose risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity and create a ‘net zero’ style momentum.
• Develop a clear investment and deployment roadmap for onshore wind as recommended by the Skidmore Review, and establish a speedier regime for good projects to connect to the grid.
• Develop a circular renewable strategy to ensure materials and minerals needed for our transition to a net zero economy are reused, remanufactured and recycled.
• Create a National Environmental Assessment Unit to enhance EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) delivery in England.

The complete list of IEMA’s key policy asks can be found here.

Later in the year, members of the Policy and Practice team will be attending the Labour and Conservative party conferences where we will be aiming to socialise and gain support for these asks with party members and the many businesses and third sector organisations that will be in attendance.

We also expect our public affairs roundtable series to resume after the summer parliamentary recess has concluded.