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CEnv at 20 blog | Tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis

A blog by John Box CEcol CEnv FCIEEM FCIWEM to mark 20 years of the Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) professional registration.

John chairs the CIEEM Action 2030 working group providing challenge and advice on the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. He is part of the very first cohort of professionals registered as a CEnv on the 20th September 2004.

Tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis

The first CEnv registration was achieved 20 years ago. In that time, the world has changed dramatically in terms of economic growth, food production, health and life expectancy, urbanisation, information and communication technologies. These changes have been fuelled by coal, oil and gas and their carbon emissions are now disrupting the climate on a global scale. These changes are putting enormous pressures on natural resources. They have affected the air we breathe and the water we drink and have very significantly degraded and depleted the biodiversity of the seas and lands from which we derive fundamental ecosystem services.

The past 20 years have seen environmental issues become more important globally in policy-making and the environment is becoming more of a mainstream issue for economics and for national governments. Crucial successes globally are the explosion of environmental jobs to create a major environmental sector; environmental influences associated with the range of designated sites and areas on land, water and seas; the legal protections given to notable species; and the increasing use of payments for ecosystem services in the broadest sense. So many specific achievements from international to national to local are the result of public pressure combined with evidence-based campaigns.

Photograph of the Solar panels on the roof of CIEEM's head quarters - Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. Green farm land views.
Signposting the future: solar photovoltaic panels on CIEEM’s new office building that also has no gas. Credit: James Cleary.

Into the future

The next 20 years will see environmental issues becoming absolutely critical for financial planning and governance from the national to the local level. The ubiquitous Gross Domestic Product will be redesigned to embed the health of the environment as a key component. Reliance on simple economic growth will be recognised as being impossible in a finite world with limited resources. The law will continue to be required and will now combine with economics to protect important and finite natural resources.

In a world of alternative facts, fake news and social media, we need to demonstrate professionalism, integrity and reputation.

Organisations of all types must tackle the causes of global heating, climate change and biodiversity loss now. The message needs to be simple: the blanket of pollution trapping heat on Earth is made worse by burning more coal, oil and gas. Another ten years of incremental changes will not be enough. Individuals are making a real difference to how organisations tackle climate change, global heating and biodiversity loss. We can all play a part.

Communicating positive actions is a much better way of getting others to take action than making people fearful of the future. Hope is created by actions. One action leads to another. As environmental managers, we must grasp the role of explaining the implications of the interlinked climate emergency and biodiversity crisis to those around us. Objectivity and an evidence-based approach are fundamental. In a world of alternative facts, fake news and social media, we need to demonstrate professionalism, integrity and reputation. Of these, integrity is absolutely fundamental and must underpin everything that we do.

Landscape photograph of Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses NNR being restored by bunding the peat through the £5 million EU LIFE funded Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project.
Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses NNR being restored by bunding the peat through the £5 million EU LIFE funded Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project. Credit: Stephen Barlow.

By John Box CEcol CEnv FCIEEM FCIWEM

John was in the first cohort of successful CEnv applicants. Alongside 64 other professionals, he achieved CEnv registration on the 20th September 2004. John applied via his membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) – IEEM at the time, where he retains his membership and CEnv registration.

CEnv at CIEEM

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.