As the leading professional body CIWEM sustains the excellence of the people who develop and protect our environment now and for future generations.

CIWEM's Mission

The Institution's Mission is to achieve substantial progress towards securing our Vision over the next five years. Each facet of our Vision will be secured through a broad range of activities and performance targets.

a) We will support all governments, agencies, industries and the wider community with the review and development of environmental policy and the goal of sustainable development.

b) We will develop and maintain educational, professional and continuing development standards consistent with the high qualities needed to achieve customer service and sustainable goals.

c) We will provide the opportunity for our members, employers and other stakeholders to demonstrate the quality of their endeavours.

d) Through Policy Position Statements, Information Sheets, publications, a magazine and journal, conference, events and meetings we will disseminate information and best practice essential to effective environmental management practice and stewardship.

e) We will always seek to provide high quality services to support our members, their employers and the communities they serve wherever in the world they are.

f) We will consult widely and act sensitively, encouraging others to join with us and so strengthen and sharpen the focus on the sustainable management of the global environment.

g) We will be an open organisation fostering the widest possible interest in, and understanding of environmental matters. In particular we will:

• demonstrate leadership in environmental affairs;
• seek to influence the national and international environmental agenda;
• be of service to the wider environmental community;
• develop our brand and corporate identity;
• be more customer focussed and relevant to all stakeholders;
• seek to achieve growth in membership from a wider environmental constituency;
• be welcoming and attractive to existing and potential members;
• seek to generate more income to support additional and better services;
• use modern business techniques in the governance of the Institution and sustain a strong asset base;
• establish and adhere to an Environmental Policy;
• establish and adhere to an International Policy.

h) We will always seek to consult with members and represent their best interests.

Environmental Management System

CIWEM is running an environmental management system (EMS) to ensure that the environmental impacts of the Institution’s activities are minimized, and that the positive contributions CIWEM makes to environmental management are maximized.  CIWEM’s EMS will be developed over time to eventually cover all aspects of the Institution’s activities.

CIWEM’s Environmental Manual (including CIWEM’s Environmental Policy) sets out how the EMS operates, and may be downloaded here

CIWEM currently measures its performance against a set of Key Performance Indicators.  The report of performance for 2008 may be downloaded here

Code of Ethics

CIWEM has launched a Code of Environmental Ethics for its members to comply with.

At a time when many people are worried about doing the right thing to balance the need for a healthy, thriving and content society with those of a flourishing natural environment; and when experts have to demonstrate that they are worthy of public trust, CIWEM has taken this major initiative.

Approved by the Council of CIWEM at its meeting on 6th April 2001 the Code of Ethics is an aspirational set of principles which will guide professional environmentalists as they strive to achieve even higher standards of environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Members of the Institution will be expected to use their influence to the fullest extent and to behave to the best of their ability to maintain a sustainable environment in the following way: 

• Ensure that the uses of natural resources are fair, equitable and sustainable and take account of the needs of a diverse environment.
• Never knowingly or deliberately over-exploit natural resources.
• Never knowingly or deliberately cause the environment to be damaged or nuisance to be created by the discharge of unacceptable quantities of any substance or energy in any form.
• Recognize that in contributing to the provision of environmental services they provide an important contribution to human well-being.
• Ensure that the uses of the environment do it no harm or to the native wild-life within it and wherever possible enhance it.
• Embrace the needs of the community.
• Promote the concepts of integration of the management of the wider environment.
• Use their wisdom in serving the community and constantly strive to learn more.
• Serve as an example to others for responsible environmental behaviour.
• Never engage in corrupt practice and maintain a high standard of professional behaviour which will serve as an example to others.