Sustainability and Environmental Consultant
Welcome, young sustainability enthusiasts!
Welcome, young sustainability enthusiasts!
Environmental consultants offer specialized knowledge to help clients understand and address environmental challenges. This includes assessing the environmental impact of projects and operations.
Sustainability and Environmental Consultants develop and implement strategies to promote sustainability, balancing environmental conservation with business goals.
Environmental consultancy helps organizations minimize their environmental footprint while maintaining operational efficiency and compliance with regulations.
Here are some key aspects of what environmental consultants do:
Environmental consultants often have backgrounds in environmental science, engineering, or related fields, equipping them with the knowledge to address a wide range of environmental challenges.
What does a BMT Sustainability and Environmental Consultant do?
Sustainability and Environmental Consultants undertake a range of activities from environmental assessments to flood risk assessments, modelling with maps and looking at flood plains and doing environmental audits.
They work in Defence domains but also in the commerical world which includes customers such as local councils and oil & gas companies.
Naval Architecture and Engineering are broad subjects requiring lots of skills.
The London Borough of Waltham Forest. Scope: In response to ongoing localised flooding, the London Borough of Waltham Forest commissioned BMT to undertake surface water investigations across four areas identified within the borough (Ching Corridor, Sewardstone Corridor, Walthamstow Marshes and Leytonstone Corridor). Little was known by the LLFA about the mechanisms behind these events so to investigate we did the following: Built single catchment scale model encompassing the entire borough using TUFLOW, our industry leading modelling software. Carried out a feasibility assessment to identify a range of flood mitigation options. Undertook modelling on the shortlisted options and an economic assessment of damage was carried out to identify the cost-benefit ratios of each option.
Defence Legislation Support Tool. BMT UK undertakes a project which provides monthly updates to the Defence Legislation Support Tool (DLST). Legislation for safety and environmental are reviewed and added to the register monthly to ensure all relevant pieces of legislation are available and accessible on this platform. This enables departments across the MOD to use the support tool to ensure compliance with national, international legislation for any vessels or pieces of equipment.
BMT EM&S team undertaken regularly environmental screening and scoping of environmental impacts and the environmental impact assessments on a multitude of projects from new equipment design to changes to existing design on a range of vessels. The team follow the MOD environmental management systems approach and the appropriate procedures and guidance documents. Environmental workshops are held to run through the life cycle from concept to disposal on any environmental impacts with the client and other stakeholders. Briefing packs and environmental assessment reports are delivered at the end of the process for each project.
Informing Scotland's Fisheries policies to be adapted and resilient to Climate Change Ocean Acidification To help address relevant risks and opportunities identified in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UKCCRA) The project will inform how climate change adaptation could be incorporated into fisheries policies. A stakeholder engagement event was conducted along with a literature review.
Azamethiphos dispersion at Reintraid finfish pen site, Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin, Sutherland To model the dispersion of Azamethiphos to support the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) requirements for consent to use chemical bath treatments against sea lice for salmonids held in Loch Duart’s marine pens in Sutherland.
Seafood Innovation Fund, SIF Feasibility Study 1 and round 2 To develop an innovative decision support system (AquaDEEP) to optimise aquaculture production, predict the trajectory and infestation potential of sea lice and minimise ecosystem impacts.
Entering a career in Sustainability and Environmental Consultancy involves a combination of education, skill development, and professional experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pursue a career in Sustainability and Environmental Consultancy globally:
Degree route
Attend: Sixth form or college
Qualification:
Subjects:
Attend: University
Qualification:
Study: Topics could include oceans, climate, earth processes and global environments., geographical skills like map and chart work, GIS and basic geographical data analysis.
Apply to BMT in your final year of university (you may also have undertaken a general degree but then completed a masters in Environmental Consultancy or Management)
Attend: BMT
Role: Graduate Environmental and Sustainability Consultant
Experience: Join BMT's graduate scheme
Attend: BMT
Role: Environmental and Sustainability Consultant
Experience: Continue to develop your career and skills in the environmental area.
* These timelines are indicative to give you an idea of the sort of path you might wish to take. There is some room for flexibility based on your academic aspirations.
Apprenticeship route
Attend:
Qualification: Environmental or Sustainability Diploma
Subjects: Environmental/Sustainability/Geography subjects.
Attend: BMT
Role: Environmental and Sustainability Apprentice
Attend: BMT
Role: Graduate Environmental and Sustainability Consultant
Qualification: Part time degree
Study: Any course that’s applicable to work at BMT.
Attend: BMT
Role: Environmental and Sustainability Consultant
Experience: Continue to develop your career and skills in the environmental area.
Jasmine is a Principal Environmental and Sustainability Consultant at BMT within the Environmental Capability Services and leads the Environmental Management and Sustainability sector. She has over 9 years' experience in the Environmental sector in the construction and defence industries.
She has an undergraduate degree in Marine Geography and a Master's Degree in Environmental Consultancy.
What do you do?
As part of the Environmental capability, I lead the Environmental management and Sustainability sector, this entails leading a team of environmental consultants undertaking environmental assessment on projects for a range of clients.
How did you get there?
I have always had a love for the environment since a young age and took this through school and a university degree in marine geography. I always enjoyed geography, and I had a love for the marine environment so was happy to find a course that combined the two. I came out and had a few jobs and decided to go back and study for a masters in Environmental Consultancy this provided me with more specific skills which I took into the construction industry and after 5 years in the construction world I decide to switch it up and try out apply my environmental knowledge within the defence industry.
Who inspired, helped and supported you?
My family has always been my biggest supporters in my career and exploring options and helped me out when I needed them. My biggest inspiration has to be Steve Irwin and Sir David Attenborough and the education and passion they had for the environment.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I enjoy the variety of projects I get to work on but also coming across others that have the passion and drive to make a change.
Has your role provided you with any exciting opportunities?
Over my career my roles have provided me with many exciting opportunities which I have been very lucky to experience. Working within the environmental sector there are so many opportunities to take to make a change for the future.
What has surprised you most about your role?
I am still continuously learning which is great and really motivating that I could still be learning new things every day.
What advice would you give your younger self?
It’s okay to be wrong and make mistakes as long as you grow and learn from them. Even as you grow up you will still make mistakes and that’s okay no adult is perfect at their job.
"Working within the environmental sector there are so many opportunities to take to make a change for the future."