2021 SocEnv Awards ceremony sees the announcement of highly deserving Environmental Professional of the Year and Registrant Newcomer of the Year winners.
Two new Honorary Fellows of the Society were also named, in an inspirational celebration of the environmental professional community, held on the eve of World Environment Day for our 2021 SocEnv Awards.
More than 7,400 environmental professionals meet the required standards to highlight their environmental and sustainability expertise as a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) or Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech), but some warrant further recognition for going above and beyond and are commended via the SocEnv Awards. The winners of the 2021 Awards were announced earlier today (4 June) via a free virtual event.
The Environmental Professional of the Year award is designed to highlight the very best work of Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) and Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech) registrants.
After much deliberation within the judging panel, the 2021 Environmental Professional of the Year award was awarded as follows:
2021 Environmental Professional of the Year
Winner
Dan Reading CEnv, Head of Sustainability, World Sailing
Registered via Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)
Judging panel Chair, Dougal Driver CEnv – Vice Chair of SocEnv, said: “The judging panel were so impressed with Dan’s nomination, reflecting his outstanding achievements in the last twelve months and throughout his career. Dan has shown true leadership in leading World Sailing in the development and delivery of its sustainability strategy, Sustainability Agenda 2030, widely regarded as the most developed in sport. In 2020, his work led World Sailing to win the highly prized Global Association of International Sport Federations Sustainability Award. All of this and more makes Dan a worthy winner of this year’s Environmental Professional of the Year award!”
The Registrant Newcomer of the Year award, introduced last year and growing in stature, also showcases outstanding environmental work but is specifically available to those who have achieved their registration on or after the 1st January 2020; shining a light on those who have really hit the ground running since becoming a REnvP, REnvTech or CEnv.
This award category was also hotly contested, with some exceptional nominations received. The winners and Highly Commended finalists for this award was awarded as follows:
2021 Registrant Newcomer of the Year
Winner
Lara Young CEnv, Group Carbon Manager, Costain
Registered via Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)
Highly Commended Nominee
Gemma Williams CEnv, Ecology & Biodiversity Advisor, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Registered via Institute of Water (IWater)
Dr Emma Wilcox, judging panel member and Chief Executive of SocEnv, said:
Lara’s nomination was truly exceptional. In particular, the judging panel were impressed with her leadership of a number of research and innovation projects and trials to demonstrate the environmental and commercial viability of new energy efficient technologies. Her work has been integral to achieving a substantial reduction in Costain Group’s carbon footprint over recent years, an impressive feat! Many congrats to Lara, a well-deserving winner of this year’s Registrant Newcomer of the Year award!”
The results of the 2021 SocEnv Awards event also saw two leaders of the environmental profession presented as Honorary Fellows of the Society for the Environment (HonFSE), recognising their exceptional contributions to protect and enhance our environment and to the Society itself. They are as follows:
Newly Awarded Honorary Fellows of the Society for the Environment
Professor Ian Barker HonFSE CEnv
Vice-President Environment, Institute of Water
Managing Director of Water Policy International Ltd
Rachel Skinner HonFSE
Executive Director, WSP
President, Institution of Civil Engineers
Dr Emma Wilcox, Chief Executive of the Society for the Environment, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ian Barker and Rachel Skinner as newly awarded recipients of the recognition Honorary Fellow of the Society (HonFSE). Through their exceptional contributions to protect and enhance our environment, in gaining the title HonFSE they have joined an esteemed list of professionals that have demonstrated true leadership when it comes to championing the environment and sustainability. This leadership is vital if we are to achieve our climate and environmental commitments, with esteemed professionals like Rachel and Ian demonstrating the importance and power of achieving tangible, science-based action driven by expertise.”
Professor Will Pope HonFSE CEnv, Chair of SocEnv, added:
A huge congratulations to Ian, Rachel, Dan, Lara and Gemma for their achievements. We would also like to congratulate the award nominees overall for their environmental commitment and achievements. We look forward to your continuing positive impacts on the environment and the profession. We all need and want you to make a difference.”
Reaction from the award winners
We caught up with Lara and Dan for a quick chat following the announcements. Find out more about their work and what the award wins mean to them:
