by Rebecca Walker — November 24, 2010—Corporate high-fliers aiming to boost their career prospects are increasingly picking up environmental skills in an effort to bolster their career prospects, according to one of the sustainability sectors’ leading industry bodies.
Martin Baxter, executive director of policy at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), said that despite the economic downturn, the profile of environmental and sustainability professionals has never been higher, as companies look to green experts to direct organizational change.
IEMA research published last month found that the number of companies reporting on greenhouse gas emissions has grown steadily over the past 10 years, with a 20 percent rise in 2009-10 alone, as organizations begin to recognize that accounting for their emissions not only minimizes cost and risk, but also creates business opportunities.
And this realization has sparked a huge demand for the skills held by environmental professionals, vaulting them into hitherto rarely experienced strategic positions, Baxter said.
Baxter added that people working in other parts of the business are recognising that environmental knowledge will further their careers and that positions in sustainability are increasingly being taken up by candidates without solely environmental qualifications.
He cites the example of the head of operations at a multinational infrastructure company who joined IEMA to further his knowledge and contacts, which ultimately led him to head up the firm’s sustainability efforts.
