Environmental consultant
You'll help organisations adopt greener practices to promote sustainability and protect the environment.
Also known as: environmental adviser, sustainability consultant, sustainability specialist, environmental impact assessor (EIA)
About the job
Career insights
What it's like
Do you want to help create a greener world? Scotland is committed to reaching 'net zero' emissions by 2045. To do this, businesses must become more sustainable. This means there’s a need for people who are passionate about the environment! In this role, you’ll use your knowledge and skills to help businesses work in greener ways.
All industries are trying to decarbonise the ways they work, so it's a career that can take you wherever you want to go. You'll also be able to make a difference in lots of areas. In some roles, you may work on improving sustainability. For example, by reducing waste or energy consumption. In others, your focus could be protecting the environment. You might advise landowners on ways to minimise their impact on nature and local habitats.
You might work as a consultant, supporting different organisations when they need you. Some businesses employ environmental experts permanently too. For example, you might work with a chemical company to limit the levels of pollutants it releases into the air.
Your tasks might include:
collecting data to assess environmental impacts
providing recommendations to help organisations become more sustainable
selling the benefits of recycling, renewable energy and working with eco-friendly materials
advising colleagues on ways to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact
measuring and tracking results to meet sustainability goals
staying up to date with and implementing environmental legislation and strategies
Green job
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Scottish Renewables – learn careers in Scotland's energy industry
Prospects – discover a wide range of sustainable careers you could get into
Green Careers Guide from The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Scotland (PDF download)
Green Careers Hub – explore possibilities, explore live jobs and find careers advice tailored for a green career
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- social conscience
- researching
- problem solving
- written communication
- working with technology
- verbal communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Chemistry
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English and Communication
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Environmental Science
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Science in the Environment
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Skills for Work: Energy
Some employers look for a relevant degree but it’s not always essential. It's possible to get into this career with other qualifications or by getting significant experience in similar roles.
Explore some of the routes you could take to get to the career you want.
University
A degree or postgraduate qualification will be helpful for getting into this job.
There are a wide range of courses which could be useful for this career, including many sciences. Also, courses related to business, management and construction could be relevant depending on the sector you want to work in.
Some degrees have a focus on the environment and sustainability, such as:
Environmental Sustainability
Environmental Management
Environmental Science
Environmental Engineering
Sustainability
Sustainable Aquaculture
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Development
You can browse a list of university courses approved by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, can help you secure an entry-level role or move on to more advanced study. Subjects you could do at college include:
Environmental Management
Sustainability
Environmental Science and Sustainability
Other qualifications related to science, business, management or construction may be useful.
Check out what's available using our course search.
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Sustainable Resource Management
Trees and Timber
There are lots of apprenticeships to choose from and others could be useful for this career. Check out the different types available on Apprenticeships.scot.
Work
You may be able to get into this career by gathering a lot of experience in other roles related to the environment or sustainability. You can use the My World of Work job search to look for job vacancies.
Getting work experience in a relevant role can help you break into the environmental sector. Search for opportunities on Volunteer.scot.
Find more volunteering through:
Have you thought about joining a relevant professional body? It’s not essential but it can help you build connections and employers are likely to find it desirable. You could become a member of:
Some employers ask for knowledge of ISO 14001. This is a globally recognised standard for an environmental management system. You may cover this in courses or apprenticeships. If not, there are lots of online learning opportunities that’ll help you get up to speed.
You may need a driving licence for some roles.
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