Environmental consultancy and business services

This is one of the largest sources of jobs within the environmental sector. You may be employed as an internal consultant/advisor or be contracted in from a consultancy firm (or directly if you are self-employed). Some areas covered include:

• the development and audit of environmental management systems (EMS)
• carbon offsetting
• environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• integrated pollution prevention and control
• licensing
• waste permits
• water evaluation
• chemical analysis
• consultancy on energy retrofitting.

There are also opportunities in areas such as risk management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), marketing, public relations, financial services and investment, health and safety, general compliance, outsourcing and training. Buildings and infrastructure Environmental impact statements (EIS) are a statutory requirement for all major build development and infrastructure projects. While building booms come and go, the necessary work must always be carried out by qualified professionals. Graduates with a legal qualification will find opportunities with both plant operators and regulators in the application of environmental law.

Training and education

As a trainer, you may find yourself delivering services as an external consultant, or in-house, to bring an organisation’s staff up to speed with the relevant legislation or new environmental protection measures or technology. For example, environmental science and environmental health graduates may find work as compliance officers or quality auditors in in agri-business or food and drinks processing and production.

This involves ensuring that environmental management systems are in place and properly operated and other standards such as health and safety, quality assurance and food safety practices are consistently adhered to. Policy Consultants and advisors are required in policy and legislative development and implementation at local and national level. Finance and business graduates will find work advising clients in the private, public and non-profit sectors on new strategies and policies, business models, investment opportunities, carbon credit/ renewable energy trading and the capabilities they need to become leaders in the emerging low carbon economy.