Q1 If you had to categorize the professions one can do in environment, what would be

the categories?

The answer is very broad. It depends on how much details you want and with what
perspective you take: career, money, level of science.

Broadly, you can go into traditional natural sciences (biologist, marine biologists, etc.),
nature preservation (which is more specialized than traditional natural sciences, for
example, you could work as conservation scientists), other natural sciences (geologists and
people who work on the atmosphere and pollution, for example), sustainability,
ecotourism (sometimes to economically sustain companies and NGOs in the environmental
industry).

Environmental work itself can be done for 3 goals: protect nature, protecting human’s
interests or sometimes more “neutral” goals (as in the case of the geologist who specialize
in rock formation or maybe volcanos or earthquakes). An example of environmental work
for human interests is monitoring and controlling water pollution levels of natural bodies
of water so that it's safe for consumption or recreational use. Nature preservation when
done with human goals in mind can also look like resource preservation for future
generations. This is where the term sustainability comes up. You prioritize differently
depending on the goals you have.

Not all jobs in the environmental industry is about being outdoors and working directly in
nature. Sustainability for example, can be an office job and hence you’d be working
indirectly on nature. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and sustainability
departments are cropping up in companies due partly to government legislations making it
a necessary consideration by companies, and partly because sustainable companies are
outcompeting non-sustainable ones. ESG department try and reduce environmental
impacts. For example, they could analyze greenhouse emissions and hence recommend
transportation changes to make it more efficient. The Cap and Trade initiative in the US is
a good example of how governmental policies in environment can happen. The people in
charge of such corporate and governmental policies need to have a minimum background
in environment to be able to do these jobs.

You have to be careful not to think that a specific job is restricted in its subject matter:
take the example of a marine biologist. They may be working with the government to
assess the fishery sector, analyzing trends in fishing and fish population, analyzing the
food chain, setting boundaries for overfishing and ensuring that the environment under
study (which can be the ocean and large areas of water) is able to sustain itself. Otherwise
the whole fishery ecosystem could collapse. In a sense, the marine biologist is only looking
at “fishes” but in another sense, he is looking at whole systems. This could have to do
with economic sustainability or you can also have marine biologists whose goal is to
preserve the ocean health.

From my understanding, that would mean a wide variety of degree would lead to a job
in the environment field. Can you comment on that, especially what type of profiles of
people end up in the environment industry?
There is not necessarily a very specific profile due to the variety of professions, from ESG
to nature preservation. The first is more about business outcomes. As for the second,
people who like outdoors and engaging with plants and animals, then environmental
studies / biology would suit them more. Tracks in law, engineering, architecture and other
degrees can have specializations in sustainability.

Perhaps the only similarity would be a passion for the environment, in whatever form it is.

What do you do as a professional in the environment industry? What is your day-to-day

like?

I am working in climate technology which is very different from working as an intern in

companies by conservation scientists. For example when I was working with conservation
scientists, I needed to wake up early, go on site, do surveys on animals to see how the
population is doing. It depends on the role you have. Some staff may be specialized in
certain tests for the animals, so they will do these. Your life is geared towards the health
of the forest and of the animals. There are also conservation scientists who work more in
the office by coordinating more with different stakeholders to create environmental
courses. Overall it is a field that is very focused on nature and the ecosystem.

Now I’m working more onsustainability which means I work more on my laptop everyday.
For example, the company I work at pairs startups in climate technology with clients in
the region. So it’s a lot of coordinating

Moderation and contributing to the discussion. I work more on ESG in that regard, for
example creating report about the company’s footprint.

What should a student freshly out of HSC be prioritizing on, if they want to pursue the
same career as you?

Firstly they need to determine what passion they have for the environment. Is it the
outdoors or about nature preservation? Office or working for a for-profit company?
Business-oriented passion?

For example I liked more the outdoors.

One consideration is that conservation scientists and outdoors job are not as funded and
that job market is not as open as the economic sectors in the environment industry. They
work very hard physically but don’t earn as much money.

If your ambition is money for example, you might want to go more corporate and
sustainability. You won’t become a millionaire or billionaire through conservation.

Corporate sustainability may mean a degree in engineering for example and specializing in
sustainable design.
Where can students go for resources about environment opportunities?

Talking to professionals in that industry. There is not a specific resource because it really
depends on the profession you want to do and where you want to work. There are many
job boards in countries like the US and Canada, for specific fields such as
https://www.conservationjobboard.com/ , or even LinkedIn by following the companies
that you are interested in. Job boards don’t give you just jobs as well, but also
opportunities to volunteer.

Other questions

How much of it is actual science vs other hard skills?

What were the qualifications you needed to get to practice? If not typical, then what are
the usual qualifications required?

How long did it take you to get there? What are the challenges you faced along the way?

What is the best aspect of your job, for you?

How would that job be different for someone with the same job title but maybe a
different specialization or country?

What is the future of environment in the next 5 years in Mauritius? Be specific to the
categories you outlined.

What are the categories that are in demand?

Notes during the interview

Q1 notes

Biologist and scientists themselves. Example: ozone layer holes (at end of that question)

Nature preservation – a world of careers. Conservation scientists for ecosystem

preservation.

NGO and companies that work on natural preservation. So potentially ecotourism.

Economic preservation – sustainability term comes up then.

Marine biologist – fishery through government jobs.

Economic sector – do not directly work in nature, but sustainability can be indirect. ESG,
sustainability departments due partly to government legislations and because sustainable
companies are outcompeting sustainable ones. ESG department to try and reduce
environmental impacts. Transportation to make it more efficient.

Government - Cap and trade. Cap the greenhouse gas emission for companies, and trading
the emissions. You would need people who understand the environment and a minimum
understanding of environmental conservation.

Geologists which is still environment, but not really about protection of the
environment. Geologists for example could work more with archaeologists. For example,
geologists who specialize in rock formation.

Atmospheric and pollution.