Derek J. McNab

1. What motivated you to apply for Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status?

I commenced my first graduate role as a chemical engineer with British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) providing technical and project engineering support to a range of chemical manufacturing processes across the U.K and Scotland in particular. At the same time, the environmental regulator in Scotland, SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) was established under the Environment Act 1995 to consolidate over 60 predecessor bodies into one organisation providing an integrated approach to environmental compliance, management and pollution control.

This major change impacted the chemical manufacturing sector, and many others, by shifting it from a fragmented regulatory landscape into a modernised compliance-driven framework. This new dawn opened my eyes to a burgeoning environmentally focused career opportunity requiring many of the key skills of a chemical engineer including: process engineering and system scaling; advanced mass and energy balances; separation processes and mass transfer; kinetics, thermodynamics and reactor design; environmental pollution control technologies; and the circular economy and waste-to-value conversion.

To further ensure I had the key skills for a long-term career in the environmental field, I returned to the University of Strathclyde Department of Chemical and Process Engineering to gain additional and complementary skills from reading an MSc in Process Technology and Management. This course combined modules on clean technology with a selection of business management modules from the Master of Business Administration course; the benefit of understanding clean technologies while being able to write, influence and defend the business case for environmental good practice by applying techniques and technology in industry.

When applying to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng), I also selected the Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) option, as I wanted to differentiate my work experience and technical training from other chemical engineers who perhaps followed a more traditional route. I felt CEng would show my clients I understood how to design a complex process safely and deliver infrastructure that works operationally; whereas, gaining CEnv, would show I also had the ethical, environmental and holistic foresight to design it while considering resource depletion, minimising carbon and other emissions and aligning with circular economy principles.

2. What impact has gaining CEnv had on your career?

Gaining CEnv has strengthened my professional credibility and reinforced my commitment to integrating environmental stewardship into decision making and validated the environmental expertise I have developed over 30 years in manufacturing, engineering and consultancy. As my career has progressed to more senior roles including Principal Environmental Engineer and CEO of the environmentally focused consultancy, Arthian, CEnv has provided independent recognition of my environmental competence and ethical commitment which I have found valuable when engaging with clients, environmental regulators (SEPA, EA, NIEA, NRW, EPA, etc), stakeholders and multidisciplinary project teams.

Beyond professional recognition, the CEnv designation has helped me maintain a strategic focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility in particular. It has been an encouraging framework from which to plan and deliver my continuing professional development and ensured environmental considerations remain central to both my personal and professional decision making.

3. What would you say to someone who is considering applying for CEnv?

Go for it! I found the process extremely valuable because it prompted me to reflect on my experience, professional development and the impact my work has had on environmental performance and sustainability overall.

I feel it helps to differentiate between those who have followed more traditional chemical engineering career pathways and those who are focusing more on environmental expertise, or certainly for those who wish to promote or lead with those environmental skills and experiences. My work with the University of Strathclyde Department of Chemical and Process Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, and as Vice-Chair of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) South Wales Members Group, suggests the integration of sustainability throughout the chemical engineering curriculums are producing far more environmentally aware chemical engineers than ever before, so I’d suggest CEnv is more relevant than ever before.

More than those 4 letters after your name, CEnv is about continuously improving professional practice and contributing positively to environmental outcomes. It will connect you with a community of like-minded professionals and reinforces the importance of embedding environmental thinking into both your personal and professional decision making. If you are passionate about improving environmental performance and can demonstrate the impact of your work, CEnv is a worthwhile investment in your professional development, helping to expand your professional network, and more importantly, your ability to influence positive change. I am in no doubt, the world will be a better place with more CEnv’s in it! Good luck!