Businesses, governments, and other organizations are increasingly aware of the importance and benefits of environmental sustainability. Not only can taking steps to be more sustainable make an organization look more socially responsible, but it can even lead to reduced resource consumption, saving money over time.

For many organizations, hiring a sustainability director is an important first step toward greater sustainability. These professionals typically have specific education and training that can help with creating sustainability initiatives tailored to their organization, and can make a real difference in changing policies and minds for the greener.

Here’s a closer look at what sustainability director careers typically entail.

Sustainability Directors Create Environmental Science and Sustainability Plans for Organizations

An organization may have the will to go green, but that doesn’t mean it knows the most effective way to do so. That’s why one of the biggest and most important responsibilities of sustainability directors can be to develop strategies that will guide organizations toward reducing their negative environmental impact. These plans will typically take into account the economic needs of a company, the realities of the organizational structure and culture, and other important factors. This helps ensure that new initiatives to reduce consumption or the organization’s carbon footprint are tailored to what is needed by, and will work for, said organization.

Completing a Master of Sustainability program is the perfect way to learn how to craft these types of plans. Doing so will teach you necessary skills for organizational analysis, plan creation, and other important competencies, and will also allow you to gain the grounding in environmental science needed to make truly effective targets for initiatives. Whether you’re a relative newcomer to environmental science, a current sustainability professional hoping to upgrade your skills, or a government worker hoping to increase your experience with sustainability concepts, this education will be the perfect gateway to greater opportunities in sustainability careers.

Sustainability training can help you create better sustainability plans for your organization

Sustainability Directors Take a Leadership Role in Educating Colleagues on Sustainability

Sustainability initiatives can often involve a certain level of organizational change. For example, it’s common for businesses, schools, government offices, and other organizations to become more sustainable by reducing the amount of paper that they use. This might lead to requiring employees to create and store files in digital formats, cut down on personal printing in the office, and more.

These types of changes may sound simple, but they can be disruptive or confusing for employees who are not adequately prepared or who do not understand why the initiative is being undertaken in the first place. It’s for this reason that sustainability directors often serve as educators for the people with whom they work. They are responsible for informing staff about upcoming sustainability initiatives, offering guidance and adjustment assistance when new initiatives are implemented, and finding other ways to facilitate the transition to greater sustainability for everyone.

Sustainability directors may educate and assist colleagues with sustainability initiatives

This part of a sustainability director career can be incredibly important, which is why the Sustainability Master’s online program at Unity College represents such a great value. This program offers you the chance to learn from leading academics and researchers at a school that is widely regarded as a leader in the field of environmental studies. Through training in communications skills, leadership, and integration of employees into the process of sustainable innovation, you can quickly develop the skills necessary to bring about greater sustainability that is welcomed, and that your organization is prepared to take on.

Do you want to study Environmental Science and Sustainability?

Contact Unity College to learn how you can get started.