EPIC is the Environmental Policy Implementation Community at the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). EPIC brings together members to share their experiences and call for ambitious and deliverable policy, as well as providing members with the knowledge, insights and tools to help them deliver on the ground. EPIC members are local authority officers and other environmental professionals delivering environmental protection, climate action and nature recovery at a local level.

What does EPIC membership involve?

EPIC membership includes:

• Webinars, workshops and conferences, provided at a free or reduced rate to members
• Briefings and reports on environmental delivery challenges. Members can shape these by joining working groups or responding to consultations and surveys
• Support on implementation skills and good practice, informed by our implementation science project
• Quarterly EPIC member newsletter, providing updates on latest EPIC activities and opportunities, as well as implementation relevant IES and sector news

Who can join EPIC?
As with other IES communities, all IES members can join EPIC.

In October 2024, EPIC membership was extended to local authority environmental professionals, in recognition of the tight budgetary constraints on local government, as well as increasing demands from new policy regimes such as mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, and Environmental Outcomes Reports.

If you are not a local authority environmental professional then you will need to join the IES in order to join EPIC. Membership is for individuals only.

Who counts as a local authority environmental professional?
A local authority employee who works in the environmental profession, for example in one or several of the following areas:

Acoustics
Air Quality
Built Environment
Climatology and Carbon Management
Conservation and Ecology
Education and Training
Energy
Environmental Management
Forestry and Landscaping
Heritage and Archaeology
Impact Assessment
Land Condition
Marine and Coastal
Odour
Sustainability
Transport
Waste Management
Water

This does not include elected representatives, though they are encouraged to consider joining EPIC's Advisory Group (see below).

If you are unsure whether you are a local authority environmental professional, please contact EPIC's Policy Officer Ellie Savage ellie@the-ies.org

EPIC Governance
EPIC is governed by the EPIC Committee, which makes decisions and sets the direction of the community. The EPIC Advisory Group is a group of experts and organisations that the EPIC Committee can consult and work with to achieve its aims. Individuals and organisations can apply to join our Advisory Group or request more information by contatcing EPIC's Policy Officer Ellie Savage ellie@the-ies.org

Various working groups and forums take on specific issues and workstreams.