Institute of Environmental Sciences

What Institute of Environmental Sciences does

The Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) is a UK-registered charitable professional membership body founded in 1971, headquartered in London and structured as a company limited by guarantee (Charity #277611, Company #01053508). It exists to represent, support, and credential environmental scientists and professionals working across diverse disciplines including acoustics, air quality, climatology, conservation, energy, land condition, marine and coastal science, and water research, among others. Its service ecosystem comprises tiered membership (Affiliate through Fellow), four professional registrations (Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Scientist, Registered Environmental Practitioner, and Registered Environmental Technician, administered via partnerships with the Society for the Environment and The Science Council), the peer-reviewed environmental SCIENTIST journal, the monthly ES Monthly newsletter, an annual conference programme (Dialogue Between Disciplines), short courses on platforms including Thinkific, mentoring on the PLD platform, career services such as CV clinics, and over ten specialist professional communities.

IES operates on a diversified membership-and-fee revenue model. Recurring annual subscription revenue from tiered membership and ongoing professional registration fees (e.g., REnvTech annual fee of £30) forms the base, supplemented by one-time application and workshop fees (CEnv application £151 plus interview £190; CEnv workshop £499; CSci application £141 plus potential £90 interview; CSci workshop £399), event and conference bookings, publications, and donations (with Gift Aid reclaimable on UK donations). Distribution is primarily digital and self-serve through the-ies.org, with in-person events concentrated in the UK. Following the 2025 merger of Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS) into IES and the formation of the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC), the organisation has formally extended its scope into policy implementation support, including a permanent programme for local authorities, while continuing to serve its core individual professional and student member base of thousands of environmental practitioners across sectors.

Name

Institute of Environmental Sciences

Legal name

Institution of Environmental Sciences

Website

https://the-ies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) is a UK charitable professional membership body, founded 1971, that credentials and supports environmental scientists through tiered membership and four professional registrations (CEnv, CSci, REnvP, REnvTech), serving thousands of practitioners across 18+ environmental disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Body

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE) (EDAAALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) & Regulatory Reference (OSHA, EPA, Risk) (EDAGAGAJ), Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) & Regulatory Compliance (EDALALAL), Air Quality & Emissions Management (BPAHAJAI), Environmental Compliance & Permitting (BPAHAJAA)

Keywords

• Professional membership body
• Environmental science registration
• Chartered environmentalist
• Professional chartership
• Environmental training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership subscriptions at various tiers (Affiliate, Associate, Full, Fellow) providing access to professional development, resources, networking, and professional registrations.
2. Professional Registration Fees: Fees for professional registrations including Chartered Scientist (CSci), Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP), and Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech), including application fees, interview fees, and workshop fees.
3. Events and Training: Revenue from event bookings, conferences, short courses, and workshops including their Dialogue Between Disciplines conference and professional development workshops.
4. Publications: Distribution of the quarterly journal environmental SCIENTIST and other publications to members and subscribers.
5. Donations: Charitable donations accepted, with Gift Aid reclaimable on eligible UK donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) is a UK-based charitable professional membership body for environmental scientists and professionals. It sells tiered memberships (Affiliate, Associate, Graduate, Student, Full Member, Fellow), administers professional registrations including Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Chartered Scientist (CSci), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP), and Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech), and delivers supporting services such as the quarterly environmental SCIENTIST journal, ES Monthly newsletter, events and conferences, online short courses, mentoring, and sector-specific guidance and policy reports.

Product overview

The Institution of Environmental Sciences operates as a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of services for environmental scientists and professionals. The core offering centers on professional membership (with tiers from Student to Fellow) and professional registrations including Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Chartered Scientist (CSci), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP), and Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech). Supporting these are publications (environmental SCIENTIST journal, ES Monthly newsletter), events and conferences (including annual Dialogue Between Disciplines), training courses via Thinkific, career services (mentoring platform, CV Clinic), and specialist professional communities covering 18 environmental disciplines. The organization also produces guidance documents, policy analysis, and sector reports. In 2025, IES expanded through merging with Environmental Protection Scotland into the EPIC community. The portfolio is delivered through partnerships with external platforms (PLD for mentoring, Thinkific for training, Stripe for payments).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services
• Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv)
• Chartered Scientist (CSci)
• Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP)
• Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech)
• environmental SCIENTIST Journal
• Events and Conferences
• Short Courses and Training
• Mentoring Scheme
• CV Clinic

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPS merged with the IES in 2025 to become part of the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC). EPS had developed guidance on land contamination and development for Scotland, which is now administered under the IES umbrella.
• Society for the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocEnv is the overarching body that awards Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP), and Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech) designations. The IES administers these professional registrations on behalf of SocEnv, which represents multiple professional bodies working in partnership to set environmental professional standards.
• The Science CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Science Council awards the Chartered Scientist (CSci) designation. The IES processes CSci applications and administers this professional registration for scientists working in environmental fields.
• Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIAQM operates as a community within the IES family, representing air quality professionals. The IES provides administrative support and coordination for this community of practice.
• Foundation for Water Research (FWR)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFWR operates as a community within the IES family, focusing on water research. The IES provides administrative support for FWR activities and publications.
• PLD (Perform Learn Develop Ltd)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal platform provider hosting the IES mentoring scheme. Members can optionally register on the PLD website to access mentoring services. PLD processes data as a data processor under IES direction.
• StripesupportingOthersExternal payment provider used for processing membership subscriptions, event tickets, and other paid services. IES maintains PCI-DSS compliance through Stripe without storing payment card details.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management): CIWM is the UK professional body for the resources and waste management sector. It represents another chartered environmental profession competing for the same individual members and employer training budgets.
• IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment): IEMA is the leading UK professional body for environmental practitioners, offering its own chartered status (CEnv via SocEnv) and competing directly with IES for the same member base across environmental management, assessment, and sustainability.
• The Science Council: The Science Council awards the CSci designation that IES administers. It is both a core partner and a structural peer among UK bodies coordinating chartered scientific registration across disciplines.
• CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management): CIWEM is a chartered UK membership body for water and environmental management professionals. It competes with IES in overlapping specialisms (notably water/FWR) and targets a similar chartered professional audience.
• Society for the Environment (SocEnv): SocEnv is the overarching body that awards CEnv, REnvP, and REnvTech—the very designations IES administers. It is the closest strategic counterpart and a critical partner whose governance decisions directly shape IES's core product.

Emerging players

• British Ecological Society: BES is a UK learned society for ecologists with membership, journals, events, and policy engagement. It overlaps with IES's Conservation & Ecology community and represents an adjacent membership-based competition for environmental scientists.

Regional players

• Geological Society of London: The Geological Society is a UK chartered body for geoscientists, relevant to IES's Land Condition and contaminated-land communities. It is a comparable UK-based professional body with overlapping practitioner interests but a different disciplinary anchor.

Others

• UK Green Building Council: UKGBC is a non-profit membership organisation focused on sustainable built environment. It is adjacent to IES's Built Environment and climate-related communities and shares the professional-network-and-policy-advocacy model without direct chartership competition.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Society of Biology: RSB is a larger, established UK science professional body offering its own chartership routes (CBiol, RSci) and broader life-science membership. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with IES at the biology/environmental science boundary.
• Royal Society of Chemistry: RSC is a long-established chartered scientific body with broad membership, publishing, events, and policy functions. It shares IES's professional-body operating model at much larger scale and competes for overlapping scientific professional attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ies_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institution-of-environmental-sciences

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Environmental Sciences