Trustee Board update June 2021

Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Survey

Late last year, our Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Committee commissioned a survey to help us understand the challenges faced by Black and minority ethnic members in the UK. It invited UK members to tell us about their experiences and impressions: to find out more about how cultural and ethnic differences can affect our members’ work and careers.

The survey findings will be made available soon and I am sure will offer us all food for thought. The Trustee Board is keen that the findings are used to support our work to create a fairer environment, free from harassment and discrimination, in which everybody feels included and valued.

We have used the findings to produce a toolkit, offering advice and support to our members and to industry. None of the findings come as a surprise, but they underline the scale of the change we need to address in changing the culture in our industry.

We are also updating our Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Action Plan, which has now been made available on the ICE website. We have drawn on best practice and our work is mapped to that of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Science Council.

New Civil Engineer’s Go Digital campaign

I hope you will by now have seen a number of reminders that New Civil Engineer magazine is available in a range of digital formats and are encouraged to make the switch from receiving a paper copy to a digital-only subscription.

Staggeringly, more than 500,000 copies of New Civil Engineer are printed and distributed every year, adding up to over 26 million printed pages and almost three tons of plastic used to package the magazines. Not only that, hundreds of thousands of kilometres of carbon-intensive travel are required to reach addresses across the globe.

As a professional community, we must work together to achieve net zero carbon as fast as possible. If you watched my presidential address, you will know that this starts with one big question sitting at the heart of Shaping Zero that holds each of us to account.

It is the same question that will determine our collective success: ‘What are you going to do?’ For most of us, the answer to this question will include a few big actions and commitments, plus many small changes.

The ICE and New Civil Engineer are both committed to change that reduces our carbon footprint; I encourage all of you to make the switch.

ICE Plan for 2022-25

ICE’s rolling three-year plan is produced annually and sets out how it intends to fulfil the vision and strategy that Trustees have laid out.

Trustees were asked to review the draft plan ahead of input from Council next month. The volunteer network who so generously give their time to support the institution’s work is vital in delivering the plan. There is more information on how you can get involved in the Volunteer Hub.

Trustees look forward to being given the opportunity to approve the final recommendations at September’s meeting and agreeing a budget to deliver it in November.

Membership subscriptions and fees

The last 18 months have been enormously challenging for us all, not least financially. In recognition of this, Trustees agreed that there will be no increase in subscriptions and fees for 2022.

Trustees also agreed to uplift income thresholds for reduced rates in line with National Living Wage increases.

I hope that whatever your personal circumstances, you have seen ICE as a constant. If these circumstances change and you are unable to afford the full fee, you may be eligible for a reduction, and I urge you to consider the range of support that the ICE Benevolent Fund can offer you.