Meet Robbie Epsom CEnv 2025 Environmental Professional of the Year | Meet the Winners

Becoming a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) in 2014 was a natural progression, signifying a commitment to the highest professional standards. It formalised my dedication to ethical practice, continuous professional development, and a deep understanding of environmental principles. My route to chartership was through the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES), an organisation I hold in high regard for its vital work in raising the profile and credibility of environmental professionals.

Achieving CEnv status provided a robust framework for my work, reinforcing rigorous standards and validating expertise gained in a dynamic sector. It empowered me to increase my positive influence, lending credibility to push harder for change in the critical fight for our planet. This professional designation is more than a title; it’s a testament to the comprehensive knowledge and applied experience required to effectively tackle complex environmental challenges.

The Awards

The recent honour of receiving the Society for the Environment (SocEnv) award was incredible, and deeply resonated. To be acknowledged by the body that supports and validates professional journeys like mine, overseeing the CEnv designation, carries significant weight. It was humbling to be among such dedicated and inspiring finalists, all tirelessly working towards a more sustainable future.

The event itself was a powerful reminder of the collective effort inherent in our field. My sincere thanks go to the Society for the Environment team, and of course, to my professional membership bodies, the Institution of Environmental Sciences and the Institute of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability, for their unwavering support. These organisations are crucial; they elevate the profile of environmental work and provide much-needed credibility to those of us on the front line of sustainability.

What it Means to Have the Recognition

This award embodies three key reasons why celebrating our collective efforts is more crucial than ever:

Personal Validation and Reinforcement

Personally, this award means a huge amount. Coming from the institute behind my CEnv designation, receiving formal recognition from the Society for the Environment reinforces the rigorous path to chartership and the standards we uphold. While individual recognition is appreciated, sustainability achievements are fundamentally collaborative. I’m indebted to my fellow nominees and my team. Collaboration is the cornerstone of sustainability. We can only achieve a truly sustainable, just, and restorative economy by working together. As the saying goes, we are greater than the sum of our parts, but it’s also important to recognise the individual contributions that make up that whole.

Empowerment and Validation of Our Sector

Beyond personal recognition, this award is about empowering and validating our entire sector. It validates our experience and credibility, empowering us to increase our positive influence and push harder for our planet’s longevity – both remain highly threatened.

I recently explained to someone how we established a collaboration across Europe to fix investment into sustainable buildings at scale. We started small, kept it informal – like a ‘Cold War’ tactic – to prevent easy obstruction. This highlights we’re fighting an information war. We have many answers – technology, science – but covert assailants often don’t want the status quo challenged. Sustainability leaders are allies fighting to fix these systemic issues. Often outnumbered and under-resourced, but our resolve is unwavering, fuelled by the abundant hope driving our mission. Awards like this reinforce our efforts and increase our scale of impact.

Sustaining Resolve in Challenging Work

Finally, and crucially, awards like this are key because of how hard this work is, and the critical need to sustain our resolve. Choosing a career that challenges the global status quo was never easy, and perhaps we didn’t fully grasp its true challenge. This work is tiring and emotionally draining; for many, it’s more than just a job. Therefore, it’s essential we all take time to recognise our efforts, thank each other, and celebrate wins.

We live in an increasingly complex world. With sustainability regulation in flux, the onus is once again on us to lead the charge. We are where we are today because of the leadership of those on the front line and those who came before us, who fought tirelessly to dismantle the take-make-dispose economy and build a more just, socially conscious network of collaborative communities.

Our work is however far from over. As sustainability increasingly integrates into business as usual, we enter a new phase, normalising the understanding, science, and technology needed to address these global challenges. I truly believe we are winning. The old economy is nervous, measured by the exponential rise in sustainability misinformation. Now is the time to strengthen our resolve and push on, because while many battles have been won, the sustainability fight is far from over.

By Robbie Epsom CEnv

Statements on this blog reflect the views and opinions of the author(s) credited and they do not always represent the views or policies of SocEnv. The blogs shared on the SocEnv website are intended to be thought-provoking articles for informative and educational purposes only.