The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is the largest professional body for environmental practitioners in the United Kingdom and Worldwide approaching 15,000 members.
Membership of IEMA is crucial for those working in an environmental capacity as it keeps individuals up to date with current environmental law and legislation, organises over 100 regional events on environmental topics to communicate current best practice guidance, publishes the environmentalist magazine 20 times a year, publishes the Practitioner best practice workbooks dedicated to individual environmental themes, and organises National Conferences that feature national experts and opinion.
Organisations often request IEMA membership as a prerequisite in job descriptions in order to ensure that candidates are knowledgeable, competent and highly trained. One of the largest sources of environmental jobs can be found on IEMA's website at.[1] Organisations are challenged to operate in an environmentally considerate fashion, and UK Government agenda on Climate Change and the Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Economy has meant that the environmental sector will play a key role in meeting this challenge. IEMA has been at the forefront of this challenge for the last ten years, and continues to do so with an ever-growing membership that is recognised by the UK Government as the leading voice for practitioners and professionals in the field. As a result, IEMA is consulted on major issues with IEMA involving its members in a majority of these consultations [2]
IEMA is a constituent body of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv), which enables IEMA members to progress to Chartered Environmentalist status.[3]
IEMA is the Competent Body in the UK for the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).[4] IEMA also promotes the Acorn Scheme (BS 8555), the phased approach to the ISO 14001 environmental management system.
IEMA also approves training course providers to deliver environmental training.[5] There are currently over 80 IEMA-approved training providers.