Arboricultural codes of ethics lack protection for trees, wildlife, and biodiversity: A review of codes from national and international professional associations

Abstract

Arboriculture practices have the potential to negatively impact the natural environment, including through the pruning or removal of trees with cavities or hollows, the misuse of pesticides, and operations that are injurious to wildlife. Mitigating approaches have been limited by market disincentives, under-enforcement, and voluntary best management practices and standards. For arborists in professional associations, codes of ethics (COEs) may have the potential to improve environmentalism within arboriculture while ensuring public trust in the associations themselves. To determine how environmental protection is discussed in arboricultural COEs, we conducted a review of nine COEs from seven national and international arboricultural professional associations, coding for environmental themes and legal/regulatory requirements. Seven COEs included a total of twelve environmentally related themes, most commonly discussing trees (n=8) and the environment (n=5). Wildlife and urban forest health were not mentioned. No COE referenced environmental laws, although six COEs required adherence with laws generally. The lack of specific prohibitions or mandates on environmentally friendly practices may allow practitioners to take advantage of COE loopholes, which would allow environmentally negative practice that could not be disciplined by an ethics committee unless the code was revised. While an alternative means of environmental governance through COEs might examine whether professional members adhered to local laws and regulations, associations may face difficulties in reviewing and properly applying legislation in disciplining their members, particularly when international associations must review legislation outside of the ethics committee's region(s) of practice. We provide recommendations for improving ethics programs, including five suggested additions for COEs.