Society for the Environment – It’s all about collective impact
Numerous months ago, we started to plan our 2025 impact report – way before 2025 had concluded. After two years of reports, we can almost now include our impact report as a mainstay in our annual calendar of activities.
In truth, we knew, in the format we had utilised for the last two iterations, it wasn’t being read as much as we’d like, and we weren’t sure if it incorporated our true impact. That is to say, our CEnv, REnvP and REnvTech registrants hold the key to our impact. Our collective impact.
Everything we do is aimed at championing environmental professionalism, and therefore environmental professionals. We want to provide platforms and standards for competent professionals to make their mark. So instead of just focusing on what the SocEnv central team does – we wanted to highlight some of the impact our registrants have achieved in 2025. Ultimately, supporting registrants to make impact is what motivates us.
It goes without saying that we can’t showcase the impact of all 9,000+ registrants in one go but imagine if we did!
So what did we do?
Registrants from across sectors responded to our call for impact case studies and produced a mini showcase each – outlining a project that had made a positive impact on the environment. These projects spanned from holding government to account, to repurposing clothing donations to reducing waste, building nature crossing bridges to laying the foundations for nature-related financial disclosures. Here’s a taster:
“I led on our review into the role of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) in achieving national nature recovery commitments. Government responded to our report in October and set out a number of commitments in response to our recommendations, including updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the creation of national product of aggregated LNRS, and clarity around the ongoing governance and resources for these important local strategies.”
– Ellie Strike CEnv FCIEEM, Head of Regulatory Programmes, Office for Environmental Protection
“Habitat defragmentation can be achieved through the construction of nature crossings; tunnels, pipes or green bridges that permit species to cross the road. Increasingly we are including these within the design of our major enhancement schemes.
In January 2025, I oversaw the beam-lift for the Cuckrow bridge over the A3 near Wisley, constructed as part of an upgrade to the M25 junction. This is the first heathland bridge in the UK, 30m wide it reconnects two Heathlands, both sites of special scientific interest with international designation covering 660 acres, that were severed by the construction of the A3 50 years ago.”
– Stephen Elderkin CEnv MISEP, Director of Environmental Sustainability, National Highways, and Co-Founder, Rebuilding Nature.
Beyond registrant case studies, we also published an impact-focused episode of our EnvCast podcast. We feature some of the highlights from in and around SocEnv during 2025, including our apprenticeship mapping work and discuss the growth in CEnv and REnvP registrations. Plus, we were joined by our 2025 Rising Star, a new CEnv who has been key to the impact of our Soils and Stones Project, and our Vice Chair who is leading the creation of our new strategy.
To explore the impact case studies in full and listen to the impact EnvCast episode, visit socenv.org.uk/resource/our-2025-impact/
Saying “hello” at the CIEEM Autumn Conference
On a different topic, it was fantastic to attend the CIEEM Autumn Conference in Nottingham at the end of last year. There were certainly some insightful talks to learn from on the packed agenda and the networking was non-stop.
It was particularly rewarding to bump into and have a chat with some of CIEEM’s CEnv members, including (but not limited to) David Stubbs, Richard Bennett, Chris Gerrard, Ellie Strike, Jim Thompson and Penny Lewns.
Thank you to the CIEEM team for your kind hospitality and for an enjoyable event.
What’s coming up?
By the time you read this, nominations will be open for the 2026 SocEnv Awards – the result will be recognising the 2026 Environmental Professional of the Year and Rising Star.
We’re looking for CEnv, REnvP and REnvTech professionals going above and beyond with some outstanding recent work. Is that you? Or do you know someone who deserves to be celebrated for their work? It’s time to nominate! (before the Friday 10th April deadline)
Find out more and submit a nomination for free at socenv.org.uk/socenv-awards
The annual awards event will be hosted by Arup in central London on the 4th June 2026. Use the same link above to register for your free ticket to attend.
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