Fellow of the Institute new Chair of the SocEnv Board
On 6 June 2023 the Society for the Environment held its 19th Annual General Meeting, where Dougal Driver FICFor CEnv was elected Chair of the Board. The SocEnv 2023 AGM was formed of voting Members in General Meeting who represent each of the Society’s Member Bodies. For the first time, the newly formed Nominations Committee provided […]
Institute signs EPF response to Environmental Outcomes Report consultation
As a member of the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF), we recently signed their joint industry response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ consultation into Environmental Outcomes reporting. The response outlined four key concerns relating to how a new approach to environmental reporting can be delivered in practice: Missing details Absence of research […]
Forestry key for future Net Zero workforce
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently published the briefing, A Net Zero workforce, outlining the impact of a transition to Net Zero by 2030, and how the transition will affect workers across a range of sectors. This briefing will inform the UK Government’s Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan that is due to be […]
Institute’s Executive Director speaks at Westminster Employer Forum
Executive Director of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, Louise Simpson, spoke at the Westminster Employment Forum’s recent keynote seminar – ‘Green skills – next steps for policy, and priorities for education and training, businesses, and the workforce’ on Tuesday 23 May. With the UK Government’s commitment to the creation of two million green jobs by […]
Policy Roundup – March 2023
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute news The Spring Budget to Parliament on 15 March touched briefly on waste and agriculture but barely mentioned nature and the environment, so despite positive progress on trees and woodlands with Defra and […]
Executive Director attends Trees and Forestry Stakeholder Forum
The Institute’s Executive Director, Louise Simpson, joined staff from Defra, the Forestry Commission and Natural England for the first in-person Trees and Forestry Stakeholder Forum, held at London’s Oval cricket ground on 2 March. The meeting focused on how to better support tree planting and care in the future, learn more about emerging issues and […]
Network Rail invests in future of Scotland’s rainforest
An industry leading two-year pilot project to enhance natural habitats near the iconic Glenfinnan viaduct has begun. Network Rail Scotland (NRS) is committing £329,000 for Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) - the Scottish Government agency responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests – to complete the most ambitious biodiversity enhancement project that Scotland’s Railway has ever […]
Tree Health Pilot updated to support farmers
Launched in 2021 and running until 2024, Defra’s Tree Health Pilot scheme has been updated to offer support to farmers and land managers dealing with tree pest and disease issues. In the first year of the pilot scheme, there were more than 80 expressions of interest, which has allowed Defra and the Forestry Commission to improve […]
Institute interviewed about skills crisis on BBC Radio 4
Our October 2021 position paper to governments across the UK detailed our serious concerns about the skills shortage in our sector, and its knock-on effect on achieving climate targets. This week Defra released their Environment Improvement Plan (EIP), which is the first revision of the 25 Year Environment Plan that was published in 2018. In […]
Updated Environmental Land Management schemes in England
With the ongoing development of agricultural transition in England, this week Defra published more information on the three Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, including actions, payment rates and when each scheme will be available. The three schemes are: The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) that will pay farmers for sustainable practices that will protect and enhance […]
