Policy and Governance Careers Outlook

To incorporate sustainability and conservation throughout society, governance at all levels needs to be a part of the solution. Imagine if the Clean Air Act or the Endangered Species Act did not exist. Our world could have become a much smoggier place with even less biodiversity; for more good news, check out the 46 Environmental Victories since the First Earth Day.

Creating and implementing responsible policies are important for environmental protection. The field of Policy and Governance is broad and encompasses environmental planning and policy in federal, state, and local governments; the work of nonprofits; environmental services on campuses and in other institutions; and grassroots community organizations. Regardless of the various labels and titles, the objective is to alter public policy and social institutions that affect the way we interact with the environment and manage natural resources. In doing so, policy makers effectively create new guidelines for land use, reduction of environmental harm, conservation of natural resources, and formulate plans to reduce future risks to the natural environment. ¹

EcoLeaders who are interested in careers in elected government, public service, law, or nonprofit administration and want to maintain their passion for improving the natural and built environment may find this field attractive. Many government agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Land Management seek qualified, educated individuals to focus on resource conservation and land use with policy-making and enforcement. If government agencies don’t sound appealing, large companies, law firms, political organizations, universities, and nonprofits all have a need to address environmental issues through policy planning and data analysis. For more on the growing need for intersecting sustainability with jobs in data analysis, check out this very helpful guide from Discover Data Science. ^2,3

Regardless of the specific place of employment, some of the major tasks often include (but are definitely not limited to) the following: ⁴

• Organize correspondence, reports, data and other project information
• Research local, state, federal, and international environmental policies
• Analyze and recommend environmental remediation strategies
• Proactively maintain client and stakeholder relationships
• Show innovation in strategy across various projects
• Work well in an interdisciplinary environment with technicians, scientists, and engineers
• Create and maintain technical documentation
• Collect and analyze data
• Maintain records and databases to support standard project operations
• Provide technical feedback on environmental policy
• Maintain aspects of operating budgets
• Hold public forums to gather citizen comments

Sizing Policy and Governance Jobs

Government at all levels comprises a significant size of the American workforce. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of individuals working for governments is over 22,000,000⁵. Because so many of these jobs are heavily influenced by environmental concerns but may not be classified as environmental jobs specifically, few statistics are available for projected job growth. Regarding a focus on environmental jobs specifically, Study.com predicts a 6% increase in lawyers and a 7 % increase in conservation scientists from 2014 to 2024⁶, and a September 2017 internet search found over 26,000 jobs related to environmental policy on Indeed and about 2,500 on LinkedIn Jobs.

While there are a wide range of positions in this field, consider starting your search with these jobs titles: If you are interested in this sector, our friends at Earth Echo International have a great, interactive multimedia site called STEMexplore to investigate public policy career paths and many more that you should certainly check out.

Salaries for Policy and Governance Jobs:

Salaries in Policy and Governance are highly dependent on position and location. The mean annual wage for all “Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OES Designation)” employees is $58,780 for May 2016⁷. For some examples of policy jobs that are specifically focused on the environment, the national average (2017) salaries for an Environmental Planner and Environmental Protection Specialist are $59,350 and $57,707, respectively. ⁸ Higher paying positions include environmental lawyers ($113,530 annually)⁹ and senior directors of nonprofits or other agencies average around $100,000+.¹⁰

Required Education and Certifications:

Most employers seek candidates with a four-year degree in Public Administration, Environmental Science, Environmental Planning, Political Science, Environmental Management, Resource Management, Environmental Engineering, Urban Planning, or a closely related field. For director and lawyer positions, a post-graduate degree (typically unspecified in major) is required.¹¹ With that said, it is possible to start gaining experience in this field with no formal education as a volunteer advocate or in a paid internship as well as becoming involved in your local government and community organizations.

Examples of Certification Programs in Policy and Governance:

• University of California – Davis | Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate Program
• MIT Urban Planning | Environmental Planning
• USC Price | Nonprofit Management and Policy
• American Public University | Graduate Certificate in Environmental Planning and Design

Examples of Academic Programs in Policy and Governance:

• John Hopkins University | Environmental Planning and Management (M.S.)
• Tufts University | Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (B.S. & M.S.)
• Westfield State University | Regional Planning, Environmental Planning Concentration (B.S.)
• University of Iowa | Environmental Policy and Planning (B.S./B.A.)
• Texas State University | Geography Resource and Environmental Studies (B.S.)
• Everglades University | Environmental Policy and Management (B.S.)
• Yale University | Master of Environmental Management
• Texas A&M University | Environmental Law
• Lewis & Clark Law School | Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law

 

Sustainable Policy and Governance Project Examples from the NWF Sustainability Database:

Campus and Community Policy EcoTopic Page - Start here to find lots of resources for you to start and share your own Campus or Community Policy EcoProject in the EcoLeaders community! Or find inspiration from the following projects that other EcoLeaders have done:

• Socially Responsible Investing: #DivestFlorida - Students at the University of South Florida came together to encourage divestment from fossil fuel companies. Their goal is to cease the continuation of “dirty energy” through innovation and collaboration. In addition, they seek to engage community members and colleagues in challenging the current university policy.
• Green Fee / Sustainable Initiative - St. Cloud State University’s campus affairs chair is striving to make the campus more sustainable by encouraging the student body to participate in environmental enhancement efforts, secure funds for sustainability projects and research, all in an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint of campus sooner than the 2035 date set forth by campus officials.
• Floridians for Solar Choice Petition - A student from Florida A&M University Sustainability Institute has been collecting petitions in support of “Floridians for Solar Choice.” Petitioners are seeking the allowance of choice within the solar companies to select their own providers; this would amend Florida’s current constitution.

 

RESOURCES:

1. “Environmental Policy & Planning Careers.” Environmental Science. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
2. “Careers for Environmental Policy Majors: Job Options and Requirements.” Study.com. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
3. "Guide to Data Science and Sustainability." Discover Data Science. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
4. “Environmental Policy & Planning Careers.” Environmental Science. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
5. “Current Employment Statistics Highlights.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
6. “Careers for Environmental Policy Majors: Job Options and Requirements.” Study.com. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
7. “May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
8. “Environmental Planner Salaries.” Glassdoor. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
9. “What is an Environmental Lawyer?” Environmental Science. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
10. “Environmental Director Salaries.” Glassdoor. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
11. Sourced from various job posting education requirements. September 19, 2017.

By: Christina Lopez, NWF EcoLeaders Fellow 2017