Royal Geographic Society

ERM is a corporate benefactor of the world-renowned learned society and professional body for geography, The Royal Geographical Society (RGS).

Founded in 1830, RGS is dedicated to the development and promotion of geographical knowledge, together with its application to the challenges facing society and the environment. ERM provides both financial support and technical expertise to enhance and support RGS's work with professional communities as a whole, and teachers in particular.

With ERM’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in mind, Linden Edgell, our Global Sustainability Director, delivered an School Member Lecture on “The Sustainable Development Goals: Ambition or Fantasy?”.

The lecture explored whether the SDGs offer a realistic roadmap for the future of our planet. Are the SDGs a unifying call or a random wish list, and what does that mean for each of us?

Under the auspices of RGS, ERM is participating in a working group of geography practitioners in government, academia, nongovernmental organizations and business to explore how we can more effectively collaborate and contribute to the SDGs.

ERM has provided ongoing support to RGS through teacher field work days and continuing professional development with sessions on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and remote sensing.

We were involved in career sessions with schools by engaging students on the practical application of geographical experience within the business world through routes such as ecology, exploration or advisory services. Our consultants have also contributed to an online bank of "career in geography profiles" to support students in seeing potential pathways for their careers, and we have acted as "geography ambassadors" at events and for the RGS community toward the same goal of promoting geography in careers.

More recently, ERM has connected RGS with DoNation to try to promote personal environmental behaviors in schools through carbon, waste and water reduction pledges, connected to our pro bono work to support DoNation in extending beyond businesses to pilot in schools.