Driving sustainability and progress
The new year is well under way and we are all focused on our key objectives for 2025. Whilst economic conditions remain uncertain, we can be confident that our sector and profession will continue to be critical to the UK’s prosperity moving forward. This progress must, however, be achieved within the broader context of the challenges and opportunities posed by the sustainability agenda.
Recent data show that 2024 saw the global climate pass the 1.5°C threshold, further reinforcing the need to increase efforts in all sectors to reduce emissions. For our industry, this means preparing for challenges such as severe weather events and related flooding, which will increasingly have an effect on our operations in the coming years.
I am pleased to say that during 2025 the Institute will remain committed to its environmental and sustainability agenda. As part of this five-year strategy we will work towards aligning the agenda’s relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals with our own core activities. This alignment reinforces our collective commitment, as the membership body for our sector, to delivering better outcomes and supporting key issues such as decarbonization, the circular economy, and biodiversity net gain.
Within that environmental commitment we will be enhancing member support, with training and resources in crucial areas such as carbon literacy and biodiversity, as we equip members with practical tools to integrate sustainability into their day-to-day lives.
Through development with the centre of excellence at the National Stone Centre (NSC), we are actively engaging with the new regional authority. This will reinforce our commitment to fully understanding and supporting the skills agenda designed to build greater resilience for our sector.
In addition to our strategic plans, we remain dedicated to helping members with practical actions. In 2025, as part of the redevelopment of the environmental handbook, we will provide new guidance documents. These will focus on the main areas and build on the visual guidance released in 2024.
The Institute will continue to recognize the good work and ideas already being developed by members through the Emerald Challenge, which has been launched and is ready to receive entries for 2025. This scheme provides members with the opportunity to access a £5,000 grant to support and develop their ideas or research, delivering more sustainable outcomes for their organization or the wider industry.
For over a century, we have been at the forefront of positive change within our sector. As President, I am committed to building on this proud tradition, ensuring that we continue to advance our profession and industry in line with our founding objectives. Together, we can meet the challenges ahead and drive progress for a sustainable future.
Ben Williams
