Training · Professional requirements
Does a French course count toward my CIEEM CPD?
The CIEEM requires 30 hours of continuing professional development a year, of which at least 20 must be structured, and structured CPD explicitly includes training courses. No exclusion of overseas courses and no prior-approval procedure is published. The Level 1 training provides 7 structured hours; it is for the member to log them and for the CIEEM to verify them at audit.
The CIEEM, the UK professional body for ecologists and environmental managers, requires its members to undertake continuing professional development. The rule is quantified: 30 hours a year, of which at least 20 structured. The CPD year runs from 1 October to 30 September. Each year, 5% of members are selected at random for an audit of their record. In late 2025, the CIEEM welcomed its ten-thousandth member.
What the text says
Structured CPD, which must account for at least twenty of the thirty annual hours, explicitly includes training courses, alongside conferences and workshops. The CIEEM publishes no closed list of providers, no exclusion of overseas training, and no prior-approval procedure. The member records their CPD and evidences it if selected.
CIWEM, the water and environment institution, applies a similar rule: a three-year record of at least ninety hours, with a minimum of fifteen a year.
CIEEM, CPD policy; CIWEM, CPD requirements. Accessed 10 August 2026.
The correspondence, point by point
| What the body requires | Source | What the training provides |
|---|---|---|
| At least 20 hours of structured CPD a year out of 30, training included | CIEEM, CPD policy | Level 1, ENV34P: 7 structured hours, certified, with a detailed programme |
| A record you can evidence at audit (5% of members drawn at random) | CIEEM, CPD policy | A named, dated certificate to add to your CPD record |
This correspondence analysis is prepared by IRICE from the documents published by the bodies cited, on the date indicated. It has not been submitted to these bodies and confers neither recognition, approval, nor partnership. Each body remains the sole judge of whether a training course is admissible under its own requirements. It is the candidate's responsibility to check with the body concerned. Any rectification request may be sent to hello@irice-certification.com and will be processed within 15 days.
What the training provides
The Level 1 training provides seven hours of structured training, certified, with a detailed programme. It covers biodiversity applied to buildings, a field directly relevant to an ecologist working with construction and development.
We do not log your CPD for you and do not presume its acceptance: the member keeps the record, and the CIEEM verifies it if selected. We provide the certificate and the programme, enough to evidence the hours. A French certificate never stands as equivalence to a UK status.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPD hours does the CIEEM require?
Thirty hours a year, of which at least twenty structured. The CPD year runs from 1 October to 30 September.
Does a training course count as structured CPD?
Yes. Structured CPD explicitly includes training courses, alongside conferences and workshops. The Level 1 training provides seven structured hours.
Is an overseas course accepted?
The CIEEM publishes no exclusion of overseas training and no prior-approval procedure. It is for the member to record the hours and evidence them if audited. We claim nothing beyond that, and a French certificate is never an equivalence to a UK status.
How do I evidence my CPD if audited?
Each year, 5% of members are drawn at random. The named, dated certificate, with its programme, is exactly the kind of record that evidences an hour of structured CPD.
Does CIWEM apply the same rule?
A similar one: a three-year record of at least ninety hours, with a minimum of fifteen a year.
Can the training be funded?
The training is delivered with QUALITEL Formation, a Qualiopi-certified body, and may be funded by a French skills operator (OPCO). The steps are set out on the funding page.
Sources
- CIEEM, Continuing Professional Development policy. Accessed 10 August 2026.
- CIWEM, CPD requirements. Accessed 10 August 2026.