Environmental auditors assess the environmental performance of operations in business and industry.

Environmental auditors assess the management of operations in all types of businesses to ensure corporate and government standards of environmental control are being met. Their objective is to detect any existing or potential environmental compliance problems or management system deficiencies, and make recommendations.

Environmental auditors may conduct compliance audits or management system audits:

• Compliance audits assess how well businesses meet standards set out in environmental legislation and guidelines, and internal company guidelines.
• Management performance audits measure conformance to management system criteria or assess the adequacy and effectiveness of management system controls.

Depending on their areas of specialization, environmental auditors may:

• review the overall operations of the businesses they are assessing
• select and manage an audit team
• gather data using questionnaires,on-site inspections, document reviews or interviews
• examine clients' records for appropriate government permits and requirements, safety standards, maintenance and inventory control measures
• review management systems, emergency preparedness and response procedures, employee training (for compliance with corporate and government standards), environmental monitoring programs and waste management efforts
• write final audit reports and discuss findings and recommendations with clients
• make presentations to directors and management
• assist businesses in developing environmental management plans (policies and procedures)
• follow up to ensure corrective and preventive actions in audit findings have been addressed.

Environmental auditors work primarily in offices but also visit manufacturing plants and assess operations outdoors. Inspecting industrial sites and meeting with clients may involve travel away from the office.

Environmental auditors must be knowledgeable about environmental management methods and techniques, related legislation and regulations, and business and industrial operations. Most have post-secondary education in environmental, scientific or engineering fields such as biology, chemistry, environmental sciences or environmental engineering. They may have an undergraduate degree in engineering, science, environmental law or environmental studies, or related work experience and a technical diploma specializing in environmental technology, chemical technology or engineering technology. For on-site audits, safety training may be required. 

Prior to enrolling in an education program, prospective students should contact associations and employers in this field to investigate education options and employment possibilities. Specific courses are required for accreditation. Environmental auditors who have the authority to sign off audits generally are required to have a related professional designation or a university degree.

Post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta offer programs in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science and related disciplines. The following institutions offer degree programs specifically in environmental science:

• Concordia University College of Alberta in Edmonton offers three and four year B.Sc. degree programs in environmental science. The entrance requirement is an average of at least 60 per cent in English Language Arts 30-1, Pure Math 30 and three other appropriate 30-level subjects including two of: Biology 30, Chemistry 30 and Physics 30.
• The King's University College in Edmonton offers four year Bachelor of Arts and B.Sc. degree programs in environmental studies. The entrance requirement is an average of at least 60 per cent in English Language Arts 30-1, Pure Math 30, and one of Biology 30 or Chemistry 30 (both are recommended), and two other approved 30 level courses.
• Lakeland College in Vermilion offers a Bachelor of Applied Science degree program in Environmental Management with a reclamation/remediation major and a monitoring/environmental protection major. The entrance requirement is successful completion of a related two year diploma program from a recognized post-secondary institution. 
• Mount Royal College in Calgary offers a four year applied Environmental Science degree program. The entrance requirement is an average of at least 60 per cent in English Language Arts 30-1, Pure Math 30, Chemistry 30, and Biology 30 or Physics 30. The Transition Stream is open to applicants who have an appropriate post-secondary background or relevant work experience.
• The University of Alberta offers degree programs in Environmental and Conservation Sciences (Edmonton), Environmental and Conservation Sciences/Native Studies Combined (Edmonton) and Environmental Science (Camrose). The entrance requirement for these programs is a competitive average of 70 to 80 per cent in English Language Arts 30-1, Pure Math 30, Chemistry 30, Biology 30 and one other approved Grade 12 subject.
• The University of Calgary offers a four year B.Sc. degree program in Environmental Science. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with a competitive average in English Language Arts 30-1, Pure Math 30, Chemistry 30, two of the following: Biology 30, Math 31, Physics 30, and one other 30 level subject selected from an approved list. Math 31 is recommended. Biology 30 is required for the biological sciences concentration. Students must complete at least four full course equivalent university transfer courses with a grade point average of at least 2.8 to be admitted to this program. The
• The University of Lethbridge offers four year B.Sc. degree and two year post-diploma programs in Environmental Science. The entrance requirement for the four year program is an average of at least 65 per cent in English Language Arts 30-1, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Pure Math 30 (or equivalent) and a fifth Grade 12 subject (Math 31 recommended).

Post-secondary institutions throughout the province offer university transfer programs that allow students to apply up to two years of study toward university bachelor's degree programs. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the courses they choose to take will be accepted for credit at the institution to which they wish to transfer.

The following institutions offer two year diploma programs specifically in environmental science or technology:

• Keyano College in Fort McMurray offers a two year Environmental Technology diploma program. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with Pure or Applied Math 20, Chemistry 20 and Biology 20, or equivalent.
• Lakeland College in Vermilion offers two year diploma programs in Conservation and Restoration Ecology, Environmental Conservation and Reclamation, Environmental Protection Technology and Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation. Entrance requirements include a high school diploma with English Language Arts 30-1 (or 65 per cent in English Language Arts 30-2), Pure Math 30 (or 65 per cent in Applied Math 30), Biology 30 (or 65 per cent in Biology 20) and Chemistry 30. The College also offers an Agro-Environmental Technology program and a Renewable Energy and Conservation program.
• Lethbridge College offers a two year Environmental Sciences diploma program with specializations in renewable resource management, and environmental assessment and restoration. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with English Language Arts 30-1, Biology 20, Chemistry 20 and Applied Math 20, or equivalent. Applicants who do not have at least 70 per cent in ELA 30-1 and Applied Math 20 will be required to complete a computerized placement test. Medicine Hat College also offers the first year of this program.
• Mount Royal College in Calgary offers a one year certificate program in Environmental Technology. This program is designed for students who have experience in environmental management or related fields. Mount Royal College also offers a four year applied Environmental Science degree.
• The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton offers a two year Biological Sciences Technology diploma program with specializations in environmental sciences and renewable resources. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2,  Chemistry 30, Biology 30 and Applied or Pure Math 30 (or equivalent). The minimum requirement for entrance into the program is a combined average of 65 per cent.
• Olds College offers a two year Land and Water Resources diploma program with specializations in land reclamation and envrionmental stewardship. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with English Language Arts 30-1 or 302, Pure or Applied Math 20, Chemistry 20, and one of Biology 20 or Science 30.
• The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary offers a two year Environmental Technology diploma program. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with at least 60 per cent in Pure Math 30 (or Math 31) and Chemistry 30, and at least 50 per cent in English Language Arts 30-1 (or 60 per cent in ELA 30-2), or equivalents. 

For current information about programs, admission requirements and mature student admission policies, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.

• Certified Environmental Auditor - CEA
• Certified Environmental Sustainable Forest Management Auditor - CEA(SFM)
• Environmental Management System Auditor and Lead Author - EMS(A) and EMS(LA).

Environmental auditors may be employed by or work on a contract basis for:

• engineering and environmental consulting firms
• municipal, provincial and federal government departments
• utility companies
• manufacturing firms
• resource-based companies (agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas).

Experienced environmental auditors may advance to supervisory and management positions.

Environmental auditors are part of the larger National Occupational Classification 2263: Inspectors in Public and Environmental Health and Occupational Health and Safety. In Alberta, 75 per cent of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

• Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Public Administration
• Manufacturing
• Construction.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next ten years.

Salaries for environmental auditors vary considerably depending on their qualifications and the responsibilities of the position.

According to the 2009 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Inspectors in Public and Environmental Health and Occupational Health and Safety occupational group earned from $13.90 to $71.16 an hour. The average wage was $35.29 an hour. Salaries for environmental auditors who do not have management responsibilities are generally considerably less than the top of this range suggests.

For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo.

Post-secondary institution calendars and websites (see Educational Requirements above)

EDinfo website: www.alis.alberta.ca/edinfo

Auditing Association of Canada (AAC) website: www.auditingcanada.com

Canadian Environmental Certification Approvals Board (CECAB) website: www.cecab.org

ECO Canada (Environmental Careers Organization) website: www.eco.ca