Whilst the range of jobs in this sector is tremendously varied and permeates many roles, people working in any area will be primarily concerned with the impact of people and industry on the environment – below are some examples for inspiration:
Environmental conservation
Conservationists and ecologists work in a wide range of urban and rural environments to protect and improve the environment. Many begin their careers in field-based jobs, collecting and analysing data, and progress on to managing projects, liaising with stakeholders and developing strategy. Non-field focused roles may involve greater policy and data focused tasks, for example that informs or monitors work in the field as part of a team. There may also be a community education element to conservation roles.
The main employers are government bodies e.g. The Environment Agency, Natural England and DEFRA and local and national charities (find a list at Charity Choice), and specialist environmental consultancy service providers. Many Zoos also have hands on roles in conservation from both a species conservation perspective in captive breeding, but also involvement in programmes outside of the Zoo environment e.g. protecting species and their habitats in their home range.
Additional conservation focused roles can include Site Wardens and Rangers, focusing on the management and protection of individual sites like reserves, protected areas, and parks.
It’s a competitive sector. Be prepared to build up experience through volunteering with conservation organisations. If you are interested in a specific organisation try to find out how they recruit (through an agency or specific websites) so that you can target them in the most effective way. Use the resources listed at the bottom of the webpage to research your options.
Climate change
Many scientists are engaged in analysing and predicting climate change and developing models to assess its potential impact. The range of scientific disciplines is immense: remote sensing, atmosphere sampling and modelling, oceanography, study of ice caps, sea ice, glaciers and the extent of frozen tundra and carbon sequestration studies, to name a few. Experience of handling large datasets can be important. Non-technical roles also exist in creating strategies to mitigate the risks of climate change, in advocacy, campaigning and in education. Your work on climate change could be based in a university, a government body or the private sector. Charities and campaign groups are also active in this area.
Renewable energy
Please see our webpage on Energy careers for information about this popular sector.
Sustainability
Sustainable management of processes and resources is a growth area as businesses and governments strive to meet national and international environmental impact targets. Opportunities exist in carbon management, as well as in the development of cleaner industrial processes, sustainable procurement, food and supply chains, low carbon energy generation and improved energy efficiency. Many businesses and government bodies are developing sustainability policies and procedures to meet sustainable development goals. Some produce these in-house, others turn to the growing numbers of sustainability consulting firms. An increase in demand for sustainability consultant roles has been observed in recent years to meet changing political, business, and public priorities.
There are also opportunities during the academic year. For example:
- The Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium offering all undergraduate students the chance to participate in a cross-curricular opportunity to respond to big questions about the causes, impacts and solutions to the global climate crisis.
- Postgraduate students interested in this field can gain skills and valuable hands-on experience through Oxford's SDG Impact Lab: apply in Michaelmas term for the taught programme (Hilary) and the hands-on project work that runs through Trinity term and beyond.
Environmental protection and control
This involves pollution prevention and control, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations regarding industrial and other waste. The Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are key public bodies responsible for administering laws to control and reduce pollution. Large companies may have in-house teams looking after this area, but much of the work is undertaken by specialist consulting firms.
Ecological consultancy
Environmental Consultancy is a significant sector ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, for example in response to proposed urban or rural developments. Environmental Consultancies hire a broad range of roles. Field Ecologists and Surveyors are trained to identify species and habitat conditions that may require protection or could result in prosecution if endangered through development, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialists are also commonly required to map, analyse, and visualise spatial information. Additional roles can involve Project Managers managing teams and overseeing development projects from start to finish, and visiting sites to ensure compliance on site.
Environmental scientists and engineers
People working in this sector apply science and engineering principles to improve the environment, to clean up polluted sites and to provide clean water, air and land. They are often responsible for designing public and industrial water treatment systems, as well as conducting hazardous waste management studies, providing advice and developing regulations. They are concerned with environmental issues, such as the effects of acid rain, pollution and ozone depletion.
Roles will also be found within large engineering firms; water, energy and utility companies; transport, shipping and logistics. When researching options, look at other sector pages such as Engineering, Energy and Scientific R&D and graduates careers websites like Prospects and Gradcracker for more information and vacancies.
Environmental law and litigation
Practitioners are concerned with a body of law that seeks to protect the environment that may be affected, impacted or endangered by human activities. Some environmental laws regulate the quantity and nature of the impact of human activities. An example might be setting allowable levels of pollution or requiring permits for potentially harmful activities.
Other environmental laws are preventive in nature and seek to assess the possible impacts before the human activities can occur. While many countries worldwide have accumulated impressive sets of environmental laws, their implementation has often been poor. Nowadays, environmental law is seen as a critical means of promoting sustainable development. Policy concepts such as the precautionary principle, public participation, environmental justice and the “polluter pays” principle have informed many environmental law reforms in this respect.
The environmental law sector encompasses legal careers in a variety of public and private organisations, including providing legal advice, prosecuting offenders for breaches of environmental law, and advising on environmental law and policy initiatives. For more information see our pages on Solicitors and Barristers, as well as the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA) and Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD).
Environmental policy
Policy is usually decided at a national or international level. International Environmental Co-operation involves assessing global, regional and national environmental conditions and trends, addressing existing and emerging environmental issues at the global and regional levels and bringing environmental experts together. For example, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment. It works with other United Nations entities, international organisations, national governments, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and civil society to achieve this. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Environment Directorate works together with the 30 member countries of the OECD and selected non-members to improve country environmental policies.
At a national level, government departments will be responsible for the development of policies. Think tanks, charities, learned societies and professional bodies also have a significant role in influencing the development of environmental policies, with policy roles involving utilising the expertise of members or networks to gather qualitative and quantitative data to develop responses to government consultations aimed at shaping new policies. Constructing reports, organising campaigns and events are common ways to influence policy development, and make practitioners aware of how to action recommendations for the benefit of the environment. Look for policy groups to join within these organisations, and read any articles and policy reports posted on their websites to become familiar and gain experience in this area.
Environmental Policy panel talks are often held here at Oxford and via Careers as it is a very popular career area. Some joint events are delivered with the Blavatnik School of Government, the Smith School, the Environmental Change Institute and the Oxford Martin School, for example, given the academic interests of these departments so it is worth connecting with their event pages and 'News' to find out more.
Food Production
There is significant focus on the global challenge of developing sustainable crop production and supply chains. Roles can range from academic and industry research developing new innovations in crop breeding and production (e.g. breeding new plant varieties, crop protection and pest management, technological innovations for infrastructure and machinery), to policy focused and stakeholder engagement ensuring producers are supported and practices comply with regulations.
Research and opportunities associated with Organic Agriculture are increasing, as demand for organically produced food rises. Organic and biodynamic farming systems have been designed to produce food with care for human health, the environment and animal welfare. For more information, search for industry bodies, individual producers and organisations like World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) that promote opportunities for people to connect, volunteer and gain an educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming practices. There are lots of examples across Oxfordshire of interesting work in sustainable food and agriculture (for example, Sandy Lane Farm) and the Oxford Climate Alumni Network (OxCAN) which includes many profiles of graduates working in this area.
Environmental and special interest advocacy
Working with pressure groups often means adopting a highly visible public profile, although not all groups are frontline. Opportunities in many of the smaller groups for paid work are few, but volunteers are often needed and you can get involved at a student level during your degree. The purpose of these groups is to increase awareness of particular issues, and to campaign directly for change.
