What makes sustainability such an appealing field to work in?
One of the major attractions of the sustainability sector is its highly multi-faceted nature. Sustainability practitioners are rarely confined to just one area of expertise – instead, they must draw upon a range of different disciplines to come up with solutions that address environmental, economic and social needs.
Sustainability’s focus on interdisciplinary problem-solving might be a tall order to meet, but it’s also an exceptional opportunity. How many other professions allow you to make a positive difference across so many diverse areas? Clearly, there’s a lot to look forward to in sustainability work. The real challenge is knowing where and how to get started. Students and professionals need detailed, relevant info on sustainability career trends, yet most available resources talk more about sustainability’s theory and impact, rather than its job prospects.
New research by ECO Canada is going to help change that. In our latest report, we looked at 7 top careers in sustain-ability, including a careful assessment of everything from average starting salaries to typical work settings. The findings from this research were then used to develop a new professional designation for environmental practitioners working in sustainability: EP – Sustainability.
If you’ve ever wondered where sustainability professionals start or how much they typically make in Canada, we’ve got the answers to 5 of your most pressing questions:.
1.) What are the actual job opportunities in sustainability?
An impressive number of professionals currently work in sustainability. In fact, over 50,000 Canadian practitioners spend 50% or more of their time on activities related to economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Over the past two years, most job vacancies were for sustainability specialist positions, accounting for roughly 70% of Canada’s sustainability workforce.
In the next 3 – 5 years, 84% of sustainability consulting firms expect to hire, creating about 400 new positions. A further 3,800 new jobs will be added to this number as 46% of other sustainability employers increase their staff. .
2.) How do people get into this industry?
In our research, we found two distinct sustainability career paths. One path was for sustainability professionals. In this group, practitioners built their careers through degrees in business and public administration (32% of sustainabil-ity professionals), physical or life sciences (19%), engineering (13%), social sciences (13%) or natural resources and conservation (13%).
The other path was for a more specialized career as a sustainability consultant. For these roles, practitioners were less likely to have a business degree, and more likely to hold a degree in physical or life sciences (41% of sustainability consultants), engineering (32%) or natural resources and conservation (20%).
The Top 5 Things to Know
about Careers in Sustainability
One other especially key finding about sustainability consultants: The majority of these practitioners (60%) were under the age of 35, demonstrating the appeal of sustainability consulting for new professionals with a sciences background.
3.) What does a typical work day look like?
Like many other environmental careers, sustainability jobs can vary widely. For one of the most common sustainability careers – the sustainability specialist role – a typical day might encompass conducting online research on environ-mental regulatory updates, calculating the energy consumption for manufacturing a particular product, and present-ing sustainability compliance report findpresent-ings to clients, upper management or regulatory officials.
To be successful in their work, sustainability practitioners draw on a number of top skills, including: • Interpreting, enforcing and complying with environmental regulations and standards
• Implementing and monitoring sustainable development strategies and programs • Partnering with stakeholders
We created 7 sustainability career profiles to provide a detailed overview of common sustainability jobs – sign up for a free sneak peek of the profiles.
4.) Who employs sustainability professionals?
About ½ of sustainability professionals are employed in private industry, while half are employed at government and not-for-profit organizations. The top employers of sustainability professionals are governments (employing 27% of sustainability professionals), research institutions and not-for-profits (24%), large companies in manufacturing, oil & gas, mining, forestry and utilities (10%) and businesses in retail, finance and insurance (10%).
5.) How much is the average starting salary?
This question is a major deciding factor when it comes to choosing a career that is not only rewarding, but also financially viable. Keeping in mind that salaries vary significantly depending on type of employer, experience level and occupation, we developed salary estimates through a series of interviews with sustainability practitioners.
For those working as sustainability specialists, the mean starting salary was about $40,650, with a high-end starting salary for more experienced workers at $50,700. Sustainability consultants typically started at a higher amount - $55,760 was the average base starting salary for this role.
The new Environmental Professional (EP) designation in Sustainability provides formal recognition of your skills and experience as a sustainability leader. To learn more about the desigation and to apply, visit
www.eco.ca/certification.
The Top 5 Things to Know
about Careers in Sustainability
Definition
Work classified in the Environmental Professional (EP) Sustainability specialization is performed by professionals who provide strategic advice on matters of sustainability to create economic value while protecting environmental integrity and social justice. This work is done by environmental professionals whose aim is:
• sustainable use of resources through promotion of biodiversity and • management of ecosystem health and integrity.
Environmental professionals working in sustainability perform the following functions:
• reporting of trends over time;
• development and use of sustainability indicators;
• sustainability planning at the community, business, municipal, provincial, national, and international levels; • identifying and articulating ethical and social concerns and guidelines;
• development of environmental/sustainability management and other forecasting/backcasting systems; and • activities such as change management, strategic development, economic assessment and corporate social responsibility.
At the most global level, sustainability seeks to promote a sustainable society in which integrated environmental, social and economic systems continue, and evolve optimally, over the long term.
Types of Jobs
• Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Sustainability Professional - Officer*(Partner, Vice President, President, Director) but not a CSO) • Sustainability Professional
• Sustainability Researcher • Sustainability Trainer • Sustainability Educator • Sustainability Consultant
Key Areas of Expertise
• Sustainability Strategies, Programs, Plans and Indicators
• Corporate Environmental and Sustainability Plans, Policies and Procedures • Environmental Regulations and Environmental or Sustainability Standards • Environmental and Sustainability Management Systems
• Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
• Environmental and Sustainability Communications and Awareness Programs • Stakeholder Management
Sustainability Specialization
www.eco.ca/certification
1
Main Areas of Expertise
Sustainability Strategies, Programs, Plans and Indicators
Corporate Environmental and Sustainability Plans, Policies and Procedures Environmental Regulations and Environmental or Sustainability Standards Environmental and Sustainability Management Systems
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
Environmental and Sustainability Communications and Awareness Programs Stakeholders Management
Technical Competencies Importance
Developing Sustainability Strategies, Programs, Plans and Indicators
Develops framework and policies, with input from key stakeholders, for identifying sustainable development approaches and solutions that balance environmental, economic,
social and cultural needs. Critical
Develops sustainability indicators and a process for reporting progress towards environmental performance targets. Critical Identifies/stays current with emerging developments, best management practices and guiding principles for sustainability. Critical
Evaluates the environmental, economic, social and cultural implications (both short and long term) of potential sustainability initiatives. Critical Provides input in the development of sustainability strategies, plans, programs such as reasonable timelines, priority actions, indicators towards progress, etc. High
2
Technical Competencies Importance
Develops sustainable development plans that integrate economic, social and cultural needs with ecosystem-based management strategies. Moderate
Implementing and/or Monitoring Sustainability Strategies, Plans and programs
Participates in informing, developing and/or implementing improvements to organizational operations in areas such as pollution prevention, abatement and control, energy
efficiency, water and/or waste management. High
Implements sustainable development strategies Moderate
Developing Corporate Environmental and/or Sustainability Plans, Policies, and Procedures
Advocates with senior management and/or other key stakeholders to ensure due consideration of and commitment to environmental/sustainability management and
sustainability principles and strategies. Critical
Advises senior management and/or other stakeholders on corporate environmental and/or sustainability responsibilities, regulatory and reporting requirements, and
corporate liability. Critical
Develops organization's environmental and/or sustainability policies and programs in alignment with regulations, corporate values & stakeholders' environmental economic,
social and cultural expectations Critical
Develops the environmental and/or sustainability policy component of the organization's strategic plan, supporting processes and practices. Critical Makes recommendations for improvements to organizational operations based on an evaluation of corporate environmental and/or sustainability performance. Critical Evaluates the environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts and implications of the organization's operations and processes. Critical Benchmarks environmental and/or sustainability policies and performance against those of corporate, municipal, provincial, regional, national, or international peers. Critical Develops strategic partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders to garner advice and gain commitment to organization's environmental and/or sustainability policies
and initiatives High
Prepares environmental and/or sustainability performance reports (i.e. Global Reporting Initiative - GRI) relative to established metrics for communication to internal
3
Technical Competencies Importance
Evaluates the effectiveness of indicators (including economic, social, cultural, and human health) to measure progress in areas such as a reduction in emissions to the
environment. High
Assesses the cost-benefit implications of the changes in process or practices required to conform to new standards or guidelines. Moderate
Implementing Environmental and/or Sustainability Management Systems
Develops an Environmental and/or Sustainability Management System which is consistent with the organization's strategic plan and regulatory requirements. High Integrates the environmental and/or management components of new operations, new projects, facility expansions, etc. into the corporate environmental/sustainability
management program. High
Provides leadership to all aspects of the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting on the corporate environmental and/or sustainability management program. Moderate Ensures that corporate environmental and/or sustainability management projects and proposals meet corporate standards, and financial and budgetary requirements. Moderate Integrates risk management decisions into the Environmental and or Sustainability Management System and/or corporate business/strategic planning. Moderate
Managing Environmental and/or Sustainability Management Systems and Practices
Uses information systems to monitor and track Environmental and/or Sustainability Management Systems' requirements. High
Revises Environmental and/or Sustainability Management System practices and outcomes to correct and prevent non-conformance. Moderate
Benchmarks the organization's Environmental and/or Sustainability Management System against that of other companies and/or international standards (e.g. ISO). Moderate
Interpreting, Enforcing and Complying with Environmental Regulations and Environmental or Sustainability Standards
Provides advice and/or testimony to sr. management, internal staff, regulatory bodies, interest groups and the public regarding environmental regulations and environmental
4
Technical Competencies Importance
Develops plans and programs to meet environmental regulatory requirements and/or environmental and sustainability standards. Critical
Implements programs, including monitoring activities, to ensure regulatory compliance and standards conformance. Critical
Evaluates compliance with environmental regulations and conformance to environmental and sustainability standards. Critical
Defines environmental and/or sustainability performance requirements for specific jurisdictions. High
Oversees or participates in audits of the environmental and/or sustainability performance of organizations and jurisdictions to determine the adequacy of their policies and
procedures, and non-compliance/conformance issues. High
Prepares compliance and regulatory for internal use and for filing with regulatory and/or reporting agencies. High
Conducting Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
Identifies which areas are likely to be significantly impacted either negatively or positively by development activities, e.g. biophysical, economic, social, cultural, and heritage
resources. Critical
Assesses environmental and/or social issues, risks or problems, including their cumulative effect and corresponding economic, social and cultural impacts. Critical
Ensures that the impact assessment scope, criteria and conditions (geographic, environmental, economic, social, and cultural) are defined adequately. Moderate
Consults with stakeholders to gather information regarding the perceived impacts of development activities on communities, the environment and natural resources. Moderate
Liaising and Partnering with Stakeholders
Liaises with stakeholders to collaborate on environmental stewardship and resolve sustainability issues and concerns. Critical Develops partnerships with key stakeholders to enhance environmental stewardship and address sustainability issues and concerns. High
5
Technical Competencies Importance
Identifies concerns regarding the economic, social, cultural, and spiritual valuing of specific natural resources, and the implications for informed decision-making regarding
sustainability. High
Developing and Implementing Environmental and/or Sustainability Communications and Awareness Programs
Demonstrates an understanding of the role of communications in increasing public awareness of environmental and/or sustainability issues. Critical Develops communications and public relations strategies to address employee and public concerns about environmental and/or sustainability issues and risks and/or to
promote the environmental and/or sustainability interests of the organization. High
Promotes environmental and/or sustainability programs and their implementation with media, outside audiences, organizations, etc. High
Makes presentations to a variety of audiences to build awareness of environmental and/or sustainability issues, concerns and/or programs. High
Establishes goals for environmental and/or sustainability awareness programs that will help ensure the intended message is accurately conveyed to the appropriate target
audience. Moderate
Develops the content of environmental and/or sustainability awareness programs. Moderate
Assesses the effectiveness of environmental and/or sustainability communications/awareness programs in attaining their goals. Moderate
Demonstrates an understanding of the fundamental relationships between human activities and the natural environment. Moderate
Demonstrates an understanding of the Canadian environmental sector and sustainability issues. Moderate
