We are proud to announce that we have now accredited over 200 environmental science and related degree programmes across 52 higher education institutions in the UK and internationally.
This milestone demonstrates CEDHE’s leadership in advancing high-quality, professionally aligned environmental education through the world’s largest accreditation scheme for environmental science and related degree programmes. From climate change and biodiversity loss to environmental management and sustainability, accredited programmes play a vital role in preparing graduates for impactful careers.
CEDHE accreditation provides independent recognition that a programme meets robust academic and professional standards and aligns with the expectations of employers and the wider environmental sector. Based on the QAA ES3 Benchmark Statement, accreditation offers assurance that curricula remain relevant, rigorous and future-focused, while supporting clear pathways into the environmental profession.
The value of accreditation
Accreditation delivers meaningful benefits across the academic community. Students on accredited programmes are eligible for free IES Student Membership, giving early access to professional resources, careers support and networking opportunities. Graduates benefit from eligibility for reduced-rate IES Graduate Membership, helping them maintain momentum as they progress into employment and professional practice.
For academic staff, accreditation strengthens links between teaching and the profession. Staff at CEDHE member institutions can access free CEDHE Membership, including events, teaching and learning resources, opportunities to share best practice and a bi-monthly newsletter focused on environmental education. For institutions, accreditation signals quality, relevance and a commitment to continuous improvement, enhancing the visibility and credibility of programmes for prospective students and stakeholders.
As environmental challenges grow in complexity and urgency, this achievement highlights the strength of collaboration across the sector and CEDHE’s ongoing role in supporting high-quality, professionally aligned environmental education worldwide.
Take the next step
Students – check whether your programme is accredited and register for your free IES Student Membership
Graduates – join the IES at a reduced rate and continue your professional development
Academic staff – join CEDHE to access resources, events and a global education network
Institutions – explore how CEDHE accreditation can enhance your programmes and student outcomes.
The September edition of environmental SCIENTIST explores an approach that the IES has long championed in the sector: interdisciplinarity.
Defined here as a way of working across and beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, interdisciplinarity is fundamental to environmental science: a field that is home to a broad range of topics, concepts, and approaches to research and practice.
It could therefore be argued that environmental science is the natural habitat of interdisciplinary working. A less siloed approach to environmental work has gained traction over the last decade, and interdisciplinarity is now often held up as the gold standard of new research and working practices in environmental science. Professionals are encouraged to think and work with interdisciplinarity in mind: but how does this take shape when creating new research projects, new interdisciplinary teams, or engaging new audiences? Does the buzzword of interdisciplinarity bring with it adequate funding, support, and impetus for systemic change: enough to allow truly interdisciplinary work to take place, and break new ground?
This issue of environmental SCIENTIST considers the answers to these questions by showcasing success stories of the creation of new interdisciplinary communities, the formation of interdisciplinary Higher Education (HE) curricula for the next generation of environmental scientists, and considering how environmental professionals can follow their own game-changing interdisciplinary career paths.
Download the Journal (PDF) and Teaching Resource (docx) for this edition.
The March 2025 issue of environmental SCIENTIST, Who pays? Money, power and risk in sustainable finance, is now available open access on the website. 
This issue of environmental SCIENTIST turns to one of the most contentious and complex topics within the environmental sector: finance. The edition considers how we can harness finance to advance environmental improvement, support the transition to net zero, and ensure that our economy is resilient in the face of environmental problems. Crucially, this issue asks who pays for this transition, and how.
There has been widespread global implementation of new financial measures, initiatives and policies (e.g., carbon taxes, Environment and Social Governance (ESG), and green finance to name a few), but the complexities and pitfalls of our current global economic system present challenges for policymakers, researchers, and environmental professionals alike. Financial support for environmental programmes, research and innovation must also remain accessible, democratic, and innovative. This issue of environmental SCIENTIST therefore asks how we can best work towards a truly sustainable financial system, which can unlock new opportunities for environmental and social improvement.
Authors contributing to this issue are experts in the environmental dimensions of finance, from academics and communications experts to political commentators. Their articles consider the successes and failures of new financial frameworks and standards, examine the geopolitics of financing environmental improvement, explore the possibilities for new ways of communicating environmental finance, and investigate innovative solutions to financial challenges.
Download the Journal (PDF) and Teaching Resource (docx) for this edition.