What is Environmental Management?
Environment management puts in place strategies to conserve energy, water and resources and to reduce negative impacts on the environment by industrial activities. Read on for a description of environmental management duties and information on how to become an environmental manager.
Environmental Management Overview
<p>Environmental management is an interdisciplinary field that interacts with business, science and law. This field involves understanding how business strategies must change in the face of environmental constraints, the principles of sustainable development and the growth and endorsement by the public of green services and products. Environmental managers work with a wide range of issues, including pollution prevention, waste materials management, global warming, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and the management of water and land resources.
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<p>Other areas of concern where environmental management may operate include:
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<ul><li>Auditing of commercial and industrial facilities for compliance with environmental regulations
</li><li>Managing issues involving the environment in a changing world (climate, water and energy change)
</li><li>Developing strategies for waste reduction
</li><li>Overseeing opposing regulatory, legal, economical and technical concerns
</li><li>Monitoring water and air pollution and disposal of hazardous waste for compliance with federal and state regulations
</li></ul><h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutEnvironmentalManagement"> Important Facts About Environmental Management</h3>
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<table border="1"><tr><td> Median Salary (2023) </td><td> $91,680*</td></tr>
<tr><td> Job Outlook (2021-2031) </td><td> 3% growth (<i>for all conservation scientists and foresters</i>)**</td></tr>
<tr><td> Work Environment </td><td> Full-time during traditional business hours, but emergencies may require additional hours</td></tr>
<tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Environmental science and protection technicians; forest and conservation workers; zoologists; wildlife biologists</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *PayScale.com, **U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
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<h3 id="section---EnvironmentalManagementSystems"> Environmental Management Systems</h3>
<p>Environmental Management System - EMS - is a system of business management that aids organizations in developing plans to include environmental considerations into their operations. If effective, it should decrease an organization's negative effects on the environment and help the organization operate more efficiently. It is an ongoing, cyclical process whereby an organization plans, implements, reviews and improves actions and processes in order to meet its goals, both environmental and business. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has information available on its website for companies interested in implementing an EMS.
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<h3 id="section---HowToEnterThisCareer"> How to Enter This Career</h3>
<p>Professional environmental managers may work in fields like consulting, policy analysis, environmental planning and environmental education. Individuals with a relevant bachelor's degree, like conservation science, who hold an environmentally oriented job may eventually become managers with several years of experience.
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<p>Degree programs in environmental management are also available. They're typically offered at the master's degree level and are designed for professionals already working in an environmental field. Bachelor's degree programs that can prepare students for entry-level careers and doctoral degree programs that focus on producing environmental scholars and research professionals are also available. Coursework in environmental management programs often covers environmental laws and policies, the environment and society, environmental economics, corporate responsibility, environmental science statistics and project management.</p>