Imagine you are a greenhouse gas emissions consultant with a degree in Environmental Science and an ISO 14064 certification. You are part of an environmental consulting firm team hired to assist an industrial company in reducing its carbon emissions. The project focuses on conducting an on-site energy audit and advising on efficiency improvements in the company's production processes.
The work begins with a detailed assessment of the company's facilities, where you analyze energy consumption and identify areas for emissions reduction. Your expertise in data analysis is crucial in interpreting the findings and presenting them to the company's management.
You discover several opportunities for reducing energy consumption, such as upgrading to more energy-efficient machinery and implementing better waste management practices. Based on these findings, you recommend specific changes, including installing solar panels and using advanced control systems for better energy management.
The company recognizes the value of these recommendations for their environmental impact and potential cost savings and agrees to implement the suggested changes. Your role as a consultant extends to overseeing the implementation of these solutions and ensuring they are carried out.
Though challenging, this project is a testament to the critical role of decarbonization specialists in helping industries transition to more sustainable practices. Your work significantly reduces the company's carbon footprint, contributing positively to environmental conservation efforts.
Job duties vary from one position to the next, but in general, decarbonization specialists are involved in the following activities:
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.
Decarbonization specialists are pivotal in addressing climate change issues by developing and implementing strategies to reduce carbon emissions. This profession identifies and mitigates the sources of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, it contributes to the worldwide effort to limit global warming and its associated climate impacts.
In an environmental role, decarbonization specialists work across various sectors, including energy, transportation, and manufacturing, to promote the transition to renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and encourage sustainable practices. Their work is essential for achieving sustainability goals, as it helps preserve natural ecosystems and ensures the long-term viability of resources for future generations.
Economically, they contribute to reducing operational costs through energy savings and play a crucial part in the emerging green economy by fostering job creation in renewable energy and sustainable technologies. Socially, their efforts improve public health by reducing pollution and creating more resilient communities by advocating for environmentally responsible practices.
The broad-reaching effects of this role encompass environmental preservation, economic sustainability, and social well-being, making it a cornerstone in the global movement towards a more sustainable and low-carbon future.
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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Thank you for your patience while we finalize the new and improved version of our website.