Influencing Policy

Through our policy work, we aim to be a powerful voice for our members in influencing nature conservation legislation, policy and practice in the UK, Ireland and Europe.

We accomplish this by:

  • Responding to consultations.
  • Meeting with and writing to decision-makers.
  • Releasing position papers.
  • Setting up dedicated policy working groups for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (including Republic of Ireland).
  • We also have a Strategic Policy Panel who mainly focus on overarching and proactive policy engagement.

The infographics below provide just a snapshot of the ways in which we influenced nature conservation and environmental legislation, policy and practice across the UK and Ireland in 2022! These are published at the end of each year.

Key Messages for Policy Engagement

The following key messages represent the core objectives of CIEEM and will underpin any policy response, meeting or output. They are intended to be flexible and apply to a range of topics, however there may be a few that are related to key areas, for example on the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis.

  1. Raising standards

Our mission is to raise the standards and profile of professional ecological and environmental management for the benefit of nature and society. Any policy engagement should reflect this and, where

relevant, highlight opportunities for this to occur.

  1. Supporting professionals

Through our policy work, we advocate the use of professionals who have expertise in the relevant policy area and who have committed to best practices. We encourage

professionals to maintain Continued Professional Development and share best practice.

  1. Maintaining and enhancing the natural environment

We advocate for not only maintaining, but also enhancing the natural environment in policies across government sectors. Biodiversity has suffered decades of declines which must be reversed through a strategic, large-scale approach to habitat and ecosystem restoration, replacement and creation, and sustainable land management.

  1. Tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis with nature-based solutions

The climate emergency and biodiversity crisis will affect all areas of our work for the foreseeable future. We promote the use of nature-based solutions for mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. We also highlight that climate change is one of the five main drivers of biodiversity loss, and so these two crises are inextricably linked.

  1. Public engagement and community-based projects

Public engagement and community-based projects are becoming increasingly important. We highlight opportunities for both through our policy work and provide examples of best practice where possible.

  1. Collaborations and partnerships

Where possible we encourage collaborative working and partnerships, not only amongst environmental organisations, but across sectors.

Please use the navigation for more information on our policy activities. You can view our Position Statements on a variety of environmental topics at the Resource Hub.