What is an Environmental Sustainability Consultant?
With the zero-waste lifestyle mushrooming around the world, concerns for the environment have been placed on center stage. Businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies are being critical in starting to develop sustainable business practices to meet efficient ecological goals. While the demand for sustainability increases, the necessary involvement of environmental sustainability consultants should be prioritized to help organizations in creating an upscale impact in their economic, social and environmental goals.
What do they actually Do?
Others might seem to think that the work is easy and simple, but it is definitely far from that. A sustainability consultant can be your go-to person when it comes to all your sustainable business plans which include:
Analyzing the operations of customers in different industries and sectors to create smart and sustainable solutions
Conducting client assessments and audits for water, waste, and energy
Developing plans to limit vital resources - oil, and water
Creating plans for waste reduction in the company’s operations
Consulting with other industry and sustainability professionals hired by the clients to meet reporting specifications
Providing training and lectures on the importance of environmental sustainability
Integrating present resources and products in the implementation
Ensuring that the workplace and the surrounding environment is conducive and healthy.
Bridging the gap between current sustainable systems to improve companies’ cultures
The list could go on but these consultants should not only have a great interest in the environment, more importantly, but they should also be goal setters, problem solvers, great speakers, and excellent communicators.
What does it take to be an environmental sustainability consultant?
Are you considering a career as a sustainability consultant? You should be keen and interested in:
Data Collection - In being an effective sustainability consultant, one deals with a number of reports. Gathering diverse data for certain clients and understanding the problems toward sustainability is necessary.
Analysis - Data is king when it comes to being a consultant but work doesn’t stop there. A good consultant provides in-depth analysis and strategies to combat and address the companies’ green objectives.
Biology - More than anything, a seasoned environmental sustainability consultant is adept and knowledgeable in the technicalities and the environment he/she is working on.
Chemistry - Carbon footprint, natural resources, and chemistry play crucial roles in finding sustainable options and solutions, a keen sustainability consultant should recognize these relationships.
Even as young as 4 years old, Australians practice a shared vision and understanding to build a more sustainable community through the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative - South Australia (ASSI-SA). The initiative is joined by 350 schools and preschools in South Australia with a goal to increase the culture of environmental sustainability in the younger generations.
Data shows that the minimum educational requirement to be a sustainability specialist is an undergraduate degree. To show their professional credibility and expertise to potential clients, most sustainability consultants hold certifications and post-graduate degrees. In Australia, schools and universities such as Macquarie University offers courses in Environment and Sustainability.
Why do you need one in your company?
Sustainability is playing a more vital role in most companies across various industries. With over 50% of business executives considering sustainability, the expectations on corporate responsibility arise. Simply put, sustainability is banked on the belief that creating and understanding these strategies advance company longevity.
The importance of a sustainability consultant can be further highlighted since good intentions and communication are no longer enough in the global landscape. Every company needs to have tailored-fit goals that are aligned with their long term strategies, this is where a sustainability consultant comes in.
Embarking on a new generation of conscious consumers, companies are urged to bridge certain gaps that open better assessments in practicing sustainability. Transforming companies to green and ecological masterpieces are the end goal of every sustainability consultant and this means that every consultant should be backed with supportive and goal-driven companies and companies.
To know more about environmental sustainability, consult our climate change and environmental keynote speaker, Ian Cohen.
