The Sector Inclusion Forum, chaired by Dr Tracey Leghorn, chief business services officer at Suez Recycling and Recovery UK, will also establish links with other parts of the sector to drive “positive change”, facilitate task and finish groups to deliver specific activities, establish member EDI communities to bring in wider member input, endorse the work of the EDI strategy and promote good practice.
The Forum will be comprised of representatives from waste and recycling businesses, key stakeholder groups such as ESA and EU Skills, as well as CIWM members, a trustee and a member of CIWM staff.
The first output from the Forum is a Sector Inclusion Forum Charter, outlining how the group will help drive the vision and outcomes of the EDI Strategy.
Moving the world beyond waste
Katie Cockburn, CIWM director of policy, media and education, said: “To truly move the world beyond waste, we need the support of an inclusive community that embraces diverse voices, knowledge, skills and perspectives, and the work of our Sector Inclusion Forum will be instrumental in achieving this.”
Dr Leghorn said: “Inclusion is not a state of mind or academic endeavour. To achieve greater inclusion, we must go beyond good intentions and words, to tangible actions and a genuine commitment to create truly equitable and inclusive environments.
“It’s important that we are honest about where we are currently and ambitious in what we want to achieve. The benefits of EDI are clear; our sector needs diverse insights and contributions to create a thriving and sustainable sector for the future.”
In addition to forming the Sector Inclusion Forum and ring-fencing funding, CIWM has made significant progress against the actions set out in its EDI strategy, including:
- Producing an EDI Glossary to assist CIWM staff, members and the wider sector in understanding EDI concepts and terminology.
- Creating an EDI e-learning course to help shift mindsets through practical tips and techniques.
- Developing a CIWM EDI Code of Conduct to establish consistent attitudes and behaviours across stakeholders.
- Reviewing flexible working and wellbeing policies within CIWM to create a workplace that acknowledges and accommodates different lifestyles.
CIWM is also said to be in the process of producing EDI best practice guides for recruitment, communication, events and workplace amenities and facilities.
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