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In spring 2023, the idea was born to set up a new regional network in Europe, adding to the ‘IEMA family’ of networks. We wanted to have representation on one of the most proactive continents in terms of sustainability and to drive forward IEMA’s international strategy.
The main challenge was how to organise a single network of 300+ members in different countries on a continent as diverse and as big as Europe.
Damien Plant FISEP, a Vienna-based sustainability consultant working in both mainland Europe and the UK, and Dr Thomas Burgdorff, a senior health, safety and environment manager, based in Germany, agreed to take on this challenge and act as co-chairs.
“Founding this network in Europe was a fantastic opportunity to connect like-minded sustainability professionals and help them drive real change in their organisations; while supporting IEMA in its ambition to become a truly global sustainability organisation,” says Burgdorff.
The first act was to recruit committee members for the new group, and to agree on priorities and future strategy. Our committee is a diverse bunch of professionals based in different countries: Jana Kovandzic Pataky, an ESG programme manager with over a decade of experience in pan-European corporate sustainability (Austria), Johanna Flood, an independent sustainability consultant (Sweden), and Nico Fekete Pérez, a senior QHSE consultant (Switzerland).
At IEMA Connect 2023, the networking sessions became an excellent opportunity to present the new group to the membership. Connecting with other members in Europe was another priority. We carried out surveys to understand expectation levels so that future initiatives could provide as much value as possible. We started a LinkedIn group to engage with members and provide a sense of belonging to a professional community. The group now has 330 members and is growing fast.
Our aim is to encourage and facilitate discussions and share knowledge. So, in 2024, we produced a webinar series for members in Europe and beyond to engage with experts and discuss current challenges. Topics included nuclear energy, water resilience, aviation, net zero, biodiversity, EU sustainability reporting requirements, overconsumption, and big data.
At IEMA Connect 2024, we hosted a keynote session, with best practice solutions from Climate Lab, an innovative alliance between the public and private sector in Vienna. Other activities included co-chair Damien Plant representing the group at COP16 and ISEP deputy CEO Martin Baxter sharing insights from COP29. In March, Plant and Baxter attended the annual event of the European Climate Pact (launched by the EU Commission as part of the European Green Deal).
ISEP Europe is identifying important sustainability events across Europe as the next step in promoting the ISEP brand there.
Plant says: “The rebrand of IEMA to ISEP will be much easier to ‘sell’ and understand in a European context. We plan to further develop the offering, from European-centric webinars to in-person opportunities, to align with corporate partners, training partners and to grow the membership. Europe is central to the world’s transition to sustainability, and we look forward to making a real contribution in developing the profession across the continent. We have made a strong start.”
