The client
The Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI) is a collaborative programme of work, launched by IEMA in March 2021. The initiative aims to improve diversity within the sustainability profession and support current professionals, ultimately shaping an industry that is reflective of modern Britain.
The opportunity
With the initiative being managed by IEMA, taking on board feedback from partners and networks, it was important to create a central ‘stage’ to deliver the vision and strategy. It was also necessary to have a place for businesses and organisations to pledge support and for individuals to get involved, creating key collaborative networks.
An initial website would allow vital information about the DSI and its mission to be shared. As the programme grew in momentum, it was important that the new website could grow alongside it, reflecting the challenges, changes and success stories along the journey. It was paramount that new network groups could be added as networks expanded and that resources could be shared with the wider group.
The solution
Our team designed and built a new responsive Diverse Sustainability Initiative website using Craft 3. The website includes a range of content introducing and supporting diversity among sustainability professionals, initially focusing on minority ethnic groups before expanding to cover additional minority or disadvantaged groups.
A main feature of the site is the ability for organisations to pledge their support and commitment to improving diversity within the sector, driving change by sharing and building strategies and targets. To help facilitate this, the DSI website has a wealth of useful links to enable business leaders to create or adapt their own policies.
Creating networks
Easy-to-use forms allow much of the required user interaction, providing people from minority groups with the ability to create their own networks. These networks are key to the initiative, providing ‘safe spaces’ to highlight issues and identify the changes needed, and how best to implement them, directly at the source.
The content management system (CMS) gives the DSI team the tools they need to make site updates and post new content. With this being a brand new initiative, it was vital to build in the ability for the website to grow and make incremental changes as needed.
The outcome
Since launching, the DSI now has over 40 partners committed to the change and improvement of diversity matters within the environment and sustainability sector. Following the success of the initial network, ‘People of Colour’, the LGBTQIA+ network has been added, broadening the reach and perspective of the initiative as a whole.
