5 Possible Jobs You Could Get as a Sustainability Major

Written By Emma Calder

Written by Aeha Wand, Sustainability Committee member

Trying to secure a summer internship or co-op position right now? Or are you trying to plan out career plans post-grad? It can be hard as a geography major to know what roles to apply for when our field is so diverse. Careers in sustainability can especially open up a wide range of opportunities from varying sectors that might be of interest. 


Here are a couple of sustainability-based jobs you can think about adding to your career planner: 

1 – ESG Consulting

ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. ESG topics have become prominent in the business world as they influence long-term success. Businesses are receiving more pressure from stakeholders and regulators to implement strong ESG strategies, hence the need for ESG consultants. ESG consultants provide expertise for businesses looking to integrate more sustainable practices into their operations. Some projects that they work on can include; ESG Strategy Development, Sustainability Reporting, and Supply Chain Assessment. 


Common Skills Needed: communication, stakeholder management, data analysis, data reporting

2 – Climate Action Facilitator 

A Climate Action Facilitator is someone who leads others in the development and implementation of climate action. They support individuals to expand their knowledge on climate change and encourage them to understand how to make strides in their own climate action initiatives. Climate Action Facilitators require strong leadership and collaborative skills to direct meetings and workshops centred on promoting climate action. 

Common Skills Needed: leadership, communication, public speaking

3 – Community Outreach Coordinator

Community Outreach Coordinators are both organizers and spokespeople for their organization in developing community goals. They analyze the community needs and connect with various audiences within these outlined communities to promote the organization’s mission and/or services. Some responsibilities of a Community Outreach Coordinator include; developing outreach strategies to reach specific goals, planning and organizing events, creating marketing materials, maintaining outreach databases, and reporting outreach results.  

Common Skills Needed: communication, interpersonal, leadership, project coordination 

4 – Environmental Planner

Environmental planning analyzes the environmental impact of building projects in housing and transportation. Their job is to minimize the environmental impacts of construction projects and ensure that they fit within all environmental regulations of the region. Environmental Planners are often in charge of facilitating environmental permits and writing environmental reports for specific construction projects. 

Common Skills Needed: data analysis, communication, regulatory knowledge, negotiation 

5 – Supply Chain Managers 

Supply Chain Managers monitor and optimize a company’s products and services from production to distribution. They often conduct a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for a product to see potential areas to aid in the streamlining of a company’s activities. Supply Chain Managers will also often ensure that the business practices ethical and sustainable sourcing of materials for operations through LCAs. 

Common Skills Needed: data gathering, data analysis, financial and contract management, negotiation, communication 


These are just 5 possible career outcomes that can come from your degree. However, the options are endless depending on your own interests and skills!

Sources

Emma Calder
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