Green Careers

“We work to inform Canadians on how climate change is affecting our environment. This includes understanding changes to vital resources such as melt water from snow and glaciers. This information is important for the health and well-being of communities and ecosystems. There is increasing demand for climate change information from public agencies, private companies, and the public. This supports the importance of our work.”

-Chris Derksen (Climate Scientist, Environment and Climate Change Canada)

“Pay close attention to those things that bother you, that you wished didn’t happen (like waste, for me), or you wished had a solution. See yourself as the initiator of that solution and that will become your passion. Start making a list of the things you’ll need. Start asking people around you: your friends, parents, teachers, even politicians! They all have an email. Check what others are doing somewhere else. With the internet, there are no limits. Make connections to learn from them. There are lots of business opportunities everywhere. Business ideas don’t have to be just technology; we need ideas to solve problems. And YOU have those ideas!”

-Viviana Ramirez-Luna (Environmental Entrepreneur, Planeet)

“My career is built on values that strive to create sustainable agriculture. This means that my goal everyday is to produce products that will feed the world's growing population while maintaining and improving environmental sustainability. My career is based on maximizing technology and always thinking into the future. Working in my job contributes significantly to the food crops planted all around the world!”

-Kaleigh Gray (Research Associate and Safety Technician for Monsanto)

“Everything in research I am doing is related to the environment, ecology and climate change. These are all the issues currently in the news. They are all issues that are important to Canadians. The work I do is helping us understand the processes and the impacts of our day to day lifestyles. I look at possible impacts of things we do or don’t do. Then I share this information with the people who make decisions about how land gets used and managed.

In the North, this is very important to the indigenous people who live off the land. We need to understand what is happening to permafrost to decide how we can build infrastructure there. If we don’t then the infrastructure won’t last. My research is giving us the information and capacity to help make sure we stabilize what we do in the north.”

-Max Salman (Affiliate Researcher, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

“Don’t feel you have to have it all figured out from the beginning. If you take steps to learn about career possibilities, your vision will widen. Keep an open mind for things that might be of interest to you and opportunities that might come your way. It’s good to work towards a goal while being open to new possibilities. If you want work that will be of service to your community or the environment, then environmental engineering might be for you!”

-Rohan Hakimi (Environmental Engineer, Integrated Water Management, Credit Valley Conservation Authority)

“I find my career extremely fulfilling and rewarding. I have a passion for the environment and the ocean. If the conditions that we grow fish in aren't favourable, then the fish will not survive. This could affect millions of people because once they reach their full-size, these fish are harvested. The harvested fish go to grocery stores and restaurants. Here they feed millions of families globally each year. Aquaculture is one of the most carbon-neutral farming choices. And salmon is an extremely healthy protein option.”

-Kirstyn Nygren (Environmental Specialist, Grieg Seafood)