Environment 

The environmental sector is broad, encompassing the areas of environmental protection, conservation and preservation of natural resources, and environmental sustainability.

As awareness of environmental issues increases, so does the growth of the environmental sector. Rapid technological advances are generating new knowledge, products and processes that create a plethora of challenges and opportunities for environmental work. Regulation and legislation, for example, is just one area that needs to respond to these advances and changes within the sector.

Working in the Environmental Sector

Employment within the environmental sector is multidisciplinary and very diverse. Environmental practitioners may work in areas such as: 

• monitoring air, water and land quality 
• waste management, restoration and reclamation 
• monitoring human and environmental health and safety 
• pollution prevention and control 
• natural resource management 
• education 
• research 
• policy and legislation 
• communications and development of public awareness.

Environmental practioners may be employed by government departments at all levels (federal, provincial/territorial and municipal), large corporations, non-profit organizations, law firms, consulting firms, and more.

Occupations in the sector include: 

• environmental engineers 
• environmental technician and technologists 
• biologists
• agrologists
• chemists
• civil engineers
• geoscientists (geologists and geophysicists)
• lab technicians and technologists 
• conservation technicians and technologists 
• environmental educators 
• geomatics technicians and technologists 
• hydrogeologists 
• land use planners 
• geotechnical/geological engineers project/program managers. 

Skills & Training

Formal training in environmental studies is useful.Technical positions will require specific expertise and education (e.g. in chemical engineering or agriculture). Arts degrees combined with relevant experience (gained through field work or volunteer experience) may be useful for occupations in communications, education, or program management 

ECO Canada (the Environmental Careers Organization) issues a professional Certificate in Environmental Practice for post-graduate education specific to the Canadian environmental sector obtained through the Canadian Centre for Environmental Education (CCEE).

Additionally, ECO Canada’s Canadian Certified Environmental Practitioner (CCEP) designation is a voluntary national environmental certification for practitioners. This certification aligns current skills with Canadian industry benchmarks, and acknowledges expertise within the environmental sector.