We are delighted to announce that the IES has appointed a new President. Professor Sir John Lawton, who will officially begin his term as President from our 2015 Annual General Meeting on 1st May, was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Institution in 2011 and we are very pleased that he will now be deepening his relationship with the organisation by accepting the role of President.

Sir John is an eminent British ecologist, currently Vice President of the RSPB, Chair of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and a Life Fellow of WWF-UK. In 1989 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was knighted in 2005 for his contributions to ecological science. He has played a major part in promoting UK-wide wildlife conservation, leading the ‘Lawton Review’ of the resilience and adequacy of England’s wildlife sites, the findings of which continue to inform policy today.

Speaking of his new position, Sir John said “It is truly an honour to be asked. I look forward to being able to work with the IES over the next few years as they develop their mission. Wherever you look today, human activities are damaging the planet. Environmental science is vital if we are not just to document that, but also formulate policies to protect nature, help us live sustainably and improve standard of life”.

Sir John is particularly looking forward to getting involved with our regional group meetings near his home in York.

IES CEO, Adam Donnan said "We invited John to become our President after an extensive review of the environmental sector. He has been championing environmental science at the highest levels of government for the majority of his career, so his experiences resonnate well with our work. I look forward to working with him in taking the IES to its next stage of development."

You can find out more about Sir John Lawton’s career and achievements by reading his full profile.