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Over the past 100 years, environmental policy careers have tracked the
environmental movement generally.
Early efforts were targeted at conservation and preservation, which then grew
into the pollution regulation and mitigation focus of the 1970’s through
mid-1990’s. Today’s environmental
managers and policy makers are focused on pollution prevention, natural resource
development or protection, and integration of environmental considerations into
economic and social decision-making.
Population and economic growth pressures are creating complex
environmental problems that directly impact all aspects of human society.
Sustainable development, once the cutting edge of environmental issues,
is now expanding to incorporate education, governance and democracy, poverty
reduction, public health, security, and economic strategy along with traditional
environmental fields of agriculture, natural resource management, pollution
abatement and conservation. For
example, waste management cannot be addressed with simply landfill policies, but
must incorporate smart growth, recycling, emission capture, and creation of
markets to turn waste into a useful commodity.
Challenges for today’s international environmental policy analysts
include: controlling global climate change, considering environmental
regulations in treaties and trade agreements, creating environmentally and
economically sustainable development, and helping the private sector find ways
to incorporate environmental concerns into business planning.
In much of the world, basic environmental management such as water
resources, wetlands protection and restoration, and environmental health are
also very important developments as economic progress puts stress on existing
systems.
Career-related activities within this field include policy and scientific
research, environmental education and advocacy, regulatory and legislative
design, technical assistance to government agencies for planning and management,
regulatory compliance and enforcement, and entrepreneurial development in
environmental products and services. Career Paths and Entry Salaries
Entry level positions in international environmental policy can be found
in government, private industry, international organizations, and research,
non-profit and non-governmental organizations.
The U.S. federal government is the largest single employer in the
environmental career world. While
the Environmental Protection Agency is the agency traditionally associated with
environmental policy development in the U.S., including international
environmental policy, many federal agencies pursue international environmental
activities, including agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and Food and Drug Administration.
One program that provides entry into the federal government is the
Presidential Management Fellowship program, which has a starting salary in the
low forties.
The private sector has both traditional businesses and consulting firms.
Traditional businesses seek qualified managers to work in environmental
compliance programs, to incorporate environmental concerns into business
strategies, to improve performance by waste reduction and energy efficiency, and
to develop sustainable strategies.
Environmental consulting firms provide technical assistance to both domestic and
foreign government agencies as they work on environmental problems and
solutions. They need both
administrative managers who write and manage the contract proposals and
technical experts who provide the research for various tasks in an awarded
contract. Starting as a contract
employee with a consulting firm might provide an entry point into environmental
consulting. While starting salaries
are not unusually high, income is often supplemented with additional
compensation or benefits for staff that travel overseas regularly.
Non-profit and non-governmental organizations, while numerous, do not
offer significant employment opportunities and those are all highly competitive.
According to a survey by the Environmental Careers Organization, the 30
best-known environmental non-profit organizations employ less than 5,000 total,
and approximately half of those employees are with The Nature Conservancy, the
largest environmental non-profit group.
While salaries are sometimes lower in non-profits than in government or
private organizations, non-profit boards are showing more willingness to reward
hard work with increased compensation in order to maintain organizational
stability. Qualifications Necessary/Application Procedures to Enter Field
In most cases, a graduate degree is essential to success in the
international environmental field.
Programs in public policy, environmental management, international relations,
public health or law can provide some of the necessary skills.
Some institutions offer joint degrees, allowing students to get skills in
both policy analysis and environmental science.
Expertise in regional politics and economics are helpful in understanding
economic, political, and social consequences of environmental policy decisions.
An environmental science background is also valuable in positions where
specialized knowledge is important.
In addition to educational credentials, a demonstrated commitment to
environmental issues is critical to success in this field, shown through both
volunteer and paid experiences.
These experiences will also provide essential networking opportunities.
However, passion and commitment will not be sufficient for a career in
environmental advocacy. Non-profit
organizations look for staff with management, analytical, communications and
fundraising skills. Coursework in
non-profit management or social entrepreneurship is important for a career in
non-profit and non-governmental organizations.
Multidisciplinary education and experience is also important for
international environmental positions, which have now expanded beyond strict
environmental issues to include economics, politics, negotiation, and
management. The ability to bring
other disciplines to bear on the solutions to environmental problems is an
important skill, as most jobs will require more than one type of skill.
In addition, the ability to translate the science into policy will be
highly regarded.
For those who wish to pursue international work, foreign language skills
and overseas field experience are desirable to potential employers and highly
recommended. GIS and information
technology skills are also valuable. Sample Employers Private Sector:
Research, Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Organizations:
International Organizations:
U.S. Federal Government:
State Government: Each state has its own department of Environmental Conservation. Example: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is www.dec.state.ny.us/ Demand and Future Challenges of Profession
While the need for understanding of global
environmental issues is great, jobs in the field are very competitive for
students who are interested in domestic or international environmental careers.
Prior work experience, an internship or volunteer initiative is
essential. For students interested
in working overseas, work in the Peace Corps or USAID, or prior experience in a
domestic setting that is transferable to an international issue, like rural
water distribution, is critical to a successful career search.
Language skills, particularly for technical positions, are also
important. Many international
organizations like World Bank require a second language skill.
Positions in federal government are being privatized
to increase flexibility, so networking to determine the appropriate contractors
for specific policy areas is important.
International organizations also hire contractors through personal and
professional connections. Even
non-profit and non-governmental organizations are flooded with applications for
program positions. Resources For More Information Associations/Websites
Directories
Conservation Directory 2003:
The Guide to Worldwide Environmental Organizations, National Wildlife Federation, Island Press (January
2003)
World Directory of Environmental Organizations, 6th
edition, Ted Trzyna, California Institute (February 2001) Publications
This page current as of: April 24, 2008 |
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