Our dynamic, global network of professionals know how to get things done with impact, and this has been demonstrated again over the last few weeks with IES member (and former IES staff member) Adrian Mill CEnv being awarded the prestigious title of Environmental Professional of the Year at the SocEnv Awards! Adrian, who is Managing Director at Environmental and Social Sustainability and Lion Rouge, works to deliver vital ESG on the ground in West Africa, advising on sustainability matters to major investors and companies in natural resources, manufacturing and infrastructure across Africa and emerging economies.

What’s more, a number of IES members, Council Members and staff have been recognised in the 2024 ENDS Report Power List! CL:AIRE Technical Director, IES member and former Council Member, Jonathan Atkinson, and our Communities & Partnerships Lead, Ethny Childs, were both named as ‘Unsung Heroes’.

One nominator referred to Jonathan Atkinson as “one of the environment sector’s greatest unsung heroes”, having spent 34 years at the Environment Agency before moving to CL:AIRE, sharing his expertise and influence, and consistently doing “the right thing” in advocating for positive developments in land remediation and soil reuse.

Ethny’s “unique role as a pioneer of novel approaches to the environmental profession”, and as “a major player in the environmental charity sector” has allowed her to become one of the key voices “shaping the future of environmental science”. Sharing and developing her knowledge and skills through her work as a trustee for CharityWorks, Ethny also holds positions on a number of key environmental steering groups and has led on groundbreaking work at the IES, including the Turning the Tide project and the IES’ vision statement, ‘Transforming the planet: Our vision for the future of environmental science’.

In the ‘Influencers’ Power List, former IES Chair and now IES President, Julie Hill, was recognised for her “consummate professionalism”, her energy, and her unparalleled ability to bridge different sectors and create meaningful relationships between environmental science organisations. Her work in her former roles as Chair of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Environment Agency, and many more, have ensured that she brings a wealth of knowledge, skills and drive to the new challenges she takes on in her professional life.

In the ‘Academics’ Power List, Professor Gary Kass – Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey, IES Vice President and Steering Committee member for the IES’ Environmental Policy Implementation Committee (EPIC) – was celebrated for his championing of interdisciplinary approaches in environmental science and sustainability. His expertise across the research-policy-practice interface has brought immense value to his work at the IES, Natural England, and the OEP College of Experts.

We are proud to work with – and support – such a strong cohort of environmental professionals at the IES. With their expertise and input, we are looking forward to a future that recognises the achievements of individuals working toward a shared goal: solving the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, together.