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IEMA board member Professor Simon Pollard OBE explains the thinking behind this new series of thought pieces designed to inspire change.
In a new series of articles, we will take a deep dive into the interconnected megatrends we face, from rising inequality to crop failures, higher energy prices to mass migration. We will seek to translate the complexity of tackling ‘systems within systems’.
We will include views from a wide range of guests – including groups that feel disenfranchised by the net-zero transition – highlighting how sustainability professionals must harness their skills to play a greater part in driving environmental, economic and societal change.
The move to a sustainable, just and resilient future has become a mainstream transition for our world, sitting alongside ‘Society 5.0’, the technology transition; the changing nature of work; and issues of global security, among others. But environmental issues are often still seen as dispensable in favour of more pressing priorities, especially at election times.
Professional institutions now have an opportunity to raise their game in a world increasingly seen as a ‘system of systems’, dedicating more time to linking environmental pressures to economic outcomes, wellbeing, issues of inequity, resource pressures and the global movement of citizens.
IEMA’s founding members were highly influential in establishing the landscape for strategic environmental assessment, which saw technical, economic and social impacts considered for new projects, plans and strategies. We now face a new challenge in integrating our narratives on sustainability with other global transitions in a compelling way that speaks to the stark realities we face in the world, and that we witness every day through the news media.
Deep evidence presented in a compelling and straightforward way and linked to real-world politics and decision-making goes a long way. One has to acknowledge the voices of a range of actors, and be realistic about the change one can argue for, and secure, in practice.
Of course, politicians and senior policy owners in government departments are key, as are the various think-tanks, NGOs and advocacy groups offering balanced perspectives on change. Professional bodies, learned societies and national academies are viewed increasingly as trusted voices with deep expertise, and must do more to tackle the widespread misinformation that surrounds the sustainability agenda.
That said, the voices of the disenfranchised are now louder than ever. The experience and expertise of people in the Global South and in Indigenous communities most affected by global change is making them a growing authority; for example, on issues of community resilience. Sustainability only makes sense in practical terms and so, as we hone our strategic intent, there remains the need to keep our feet firmly on the ground, informed by those bearing the impacts. We reach them by including their voices and listening hard with humility.
Understanding the skills landscape and the connectivity between different aspects of the sustainability agenda is also crucial to employers, and employees need to understand the portability of green skills, the links to new tech and to the salaries they aspire to.
Training, advocacy, the social environmental agenda, and especially environmental justice, are all critical for an inclusive green economy, and a new authoritative tone will assert our prowess and leverage the full talents of our international community.
I hope that this new series of articles informs and inspires the next generation of professionals to write a new chapter of environmental, economic and social change.
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