Imagine you are sitting in a boardroom with top executives watching your company's latest television commercial advertising the organization's new commitment to the environment. You secretly grin and feel a tingle of pride.
You are an environmental policy analyst for the company, and it was your team who developed this new policy.
Television commercial and media campaigns are only a small component of sweeping changes that will convert this company's operation and reputation from that of a polluting dinosaur to a leader in innovation and sustainable production. As an environmental policy analyst, you started the process almost two years ago, when you presented evidence of consumer trends to the company's executives.
In order to take advantage of this trend, management asked your team to develop a policy that would demonstrate the company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact on its customers and employees.
You start by setting out guidelines for the new policy, which had to suit the nature of your company's activities and include a commitment to ongoing improvement.
The policy also had to comply with existing provincial and federal environmental legislation and include a framework for regularly reviewing the company's environmental performance.
You then began writing a policy that outlined several new environmental goals for the company, including reducing energy use and resource consumption, safely treating disposal and waste, training personnel in environmental procedures, and regular performance auditing.
You also outlined how this policy should be communicated to staff and customers, as well as how it should be implemented.
You and your team spent months developing a framework to ensure your company had a realistic but progressive environmental policy.
Duties vary significantly from job to job, but the following list includes typical job duties one might encounter as an environmental policy analyst:
If you are a high school student considering a career as an environmental geophysicist, you should have a keen interest in:
If you are a post-secondary student considering a career as an environmental geophysicist, the following programs are most applicable.
In most cases, the minimum education requirement to work as an environmental geophysicist is a graduate degree. Pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in fields related to environmental geophysics can enhance your expertise, career prospects, and ability to contribute to the field. These advanced degrees offer specialized knowledge and skills highly valued in both the professional and academic worlds.
In many provinces, geophysicists must obtain registration and licensure with their provincial association as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.). The certification process for geophysicists is similar to that of engineering professions and is typically overseen by the same regulatory body.
Our Environmental Professional (EP) designation can also help you progress in your chosen environmental career.
Technical Skills
Personal and Professional Skills
Environmental employers look for professionals who can combine technical knowledge with soft skills. Watch our free webinar “Essential Not Optional: Skills Needed to Succeed in Canada’s Environmental Industry” or take our Essential Skills courses.
As key executive leaders who shape their company’s sustainability policy, CSOs work in many different types of organizations. Common employers of CSOs include:
Search for jobs on the ECO Canada Job Board.
If you are a post-secondary student seeking a CSO role in the future, consider pursuing a university degree related to:
In addition to the educational fields mentioned above, you will also need extensive management experience to become a CSO, with well-developed human resources management and leadership skills. Consider educational seminars or post-graduate studies that will hone your analytical thinking, such as:
Our Environmental Professional (EP) designation can also help you progress in your chosen environmental career.
Technical Skills
Personal and Professional Skills
Environmental employers seek professionals who combine technical knowledge with personal and professional skills. Watch our free webinar “Essential Not Optional: Skills Needed to Succeed in Canada’s Environmental Industry” or take our Essential Skills courses.
I knew when I was ten that I wanted to be involved in the environment. Hunting, fishing, and trapping were a big part of my life. I spent every weekend camping with my family. Being outdoors and a career in the environment was natural for me. I went fishing regularly with my dad for speckled trout. Quite often the creeks where we fished had seen over-harvesting of trees, right up to the stream banks. The creeks were negatively impacted. I could see the damage and it stuck in my mind.
I first thought about being a conservation officer because I didn’t want people to break laws that protect the environment. Some people harvest too many animals and are often wasteful. I wanted to protect the animals from this abuse. I learned a lot from my Elders and my family. I used to sit around and listen to all of the adult conversations. Now, this trait's a big part of my job. I work with and represent people, and therefore I need to listen to their concerns and to try to understand their values.
Originally, I started as a forestry technician. It was a great experience, but it wasn’t my calling. I wanted to get into ecosystem management, people management, and policy design. To do this, I needed to upgrade my education. After returning to school to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry, I began to appreciate the complexities of land management. I see a huge demand for people with my qualifications in the next decade.
There are currently about forty Aboriginal foresters out of twelve thousand foresters in Canada. With more traditional territories being transferred back to Aboriginal communities in one form of ownership or another, the need for Aboriginal people to link communities with western management systems is high. The most challenging component of my job is communicating with different people with different interests and views. People are dynamic. When communicating with people who aren’t aware of Aboriginal knowledge, my experiences in traditional knowledge have been useful.
Environmental policy analysts provide research and analytical services for policy briefs related to energy sources, climate change, environmental justice, environmental health, and related issues.
After thorough analyses of relevant factors, they write reports, policy briefs, and white papers detailing their findings to inform government or environmental groups on issues and strategies such as energy storage or carbon sequestration.
An important example of the impact of the environmental policy analyst is pollution. Pollution can cause a negative impact on the health of humans and it can be damaging to the environment. Pollution can even cause a reduction in the volume of natural usable resources. Because of all these reasons, it is important for environmental policy to address pollution concerns.
Environmental policy analysts create written statements on issues like pollution, which is then signed by the senior management. This statement basically outlines the aims of business' as well as principles which are in relation to the management of environmental effects as well as the aspects of the operations.
Marine geologists are classified into the following occupational grouping:
NOC Code: 21102 – Geoscientists and oceanographers
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) provides a standardized language for describing the work performed by Canadians in the labour market. It gives statisticians, labour market analysts, career counsellors, employers, and individual job seekers a consistent way to collect data and describe and understand the nature of work within different occupations.
See ECO’s Blue National Occupational Standard for a career competency profile for a marine geologist that outlines the specific skills, knowledge, and behaviours required for individuals to perform effectively in this particular role. This profile is a benchmark for training and development, ensuring consistency and quality across professions within the blue economy.
Dans un esprit de respect, de réciprocité et de vérité, nous honorons et reconnaissons Moh’kinsstis, le territoire traditionnel du Traité 7 et les pratiques orales de la confédération des Pieds-Noirs : Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, ainsi que les nations Îyâxe Nakoda et Tsuut’ina. Nous reconnaissons que ce territoire abrite la Nation métisse de l’Alberta, la région 3 au sein de la patrie historique des Métis du Nord-Ouest. Enfin, nous reconnaissons toutes les nations qui vivent, travaillent et se divertissent sur ce territoire, et qui l’honorent et le célèbrent.
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth, we acknowledge that we live, work, and gather on the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, including the Blackfoot Confederacy—comprising the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani Nations—as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina Nations.
This land, known as Moh’kinsstis in the Blackfoot language and encompassing what is now Districts 5 and 6, is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3, within the historical Northwest Métis homeland.
We recognize and honour the deep connection these Nations have to the land, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share in its stewardship.
As we continue our work, we commit to learning from Indigenous knowledge systems, uplifting Indigenous voices, and fostering relationships rooted in equity, understanding, and reconciliation.
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