Environmental accountants report on a company’s environmental costs, such as pollution and greenhouse gases, and suggest ways to reduce them. To become one, you need a higher education degree, CPA certification, and knowledge of local and national regulations. Good communication skills are also important. Seek employment with companies that emphasize environmental concerns, such as oil and energy, automobile, chemical, and paper companies. Environmental accountants must also be familiar with traditional accounting practices.
For people interested in finance and concerned with ecological issues, a career as an environmental accountant can be an ideal way to combine the two interests. Unlike traditional accounting positions, where the company’s financial gains and losses are the primary focus, environmental accounting addresses the environmental costs of a company’s business practices. An environmental accountant reports the costs of pollution, the financial implications of switching to green technology, and the best ways to reduce greenhouse gases. To become an environmental accountant, you’ll typically need to follow the same steps a traditional accountant would – earn a higher education degree, become a certified public accountant (CPA), and gain on-the-job experience.
Most environmental accountants have earned their CPA credential, which usually entails earning a bachelor’s degree and taking a certification exam. It’s important to note that if you want to become an environmental accountant, few colleges and universities offer environmental accounting as an academic discipline; therefore, general accounting, math, and economics classes should generally be taken. If you want to become an environmental accountant, you will also need to be up to date on local and national regulations on pollution and greenhouse gases. Good communication skills are usually a high priority if you want to be successful; you will typically need to work in a team environment made up of professionals from a variety of fields, including scientists, lawyers, public relations executives and staff accountants.
Not all companies use specialized accounting; therefore, if you want to become an environmental accountant, it is best to seek employment with organizations that are more likely to emphasize environmental concerns. This often includes companies that are monitored by environmental protection agencies, such as oil and energy companies, as well as other manufacturers, including automobile, chemical, and paper companies. Larger companies also tend to employ environmental accountants, and there may also be career opportunities in general accounting firms, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
Once an accountant specializes in environmental accounting, he or she usually begins to collect and analyze the company’s pollution controls and material flow. These reports are generally shared with internal executives as well as a broader audience, which may include regulatory agency representatives and company investors. In addition, an environmental accountant may be asked to consider how a company uses natural resources and the effect this may have on the environment, both on a local and national scale. At the same time, however, a company’s primary interest often lies in the bottom line, so even environmental accountants often need to be familiar with all aspects of traditional accounting, such as auditing, banking, and keeping other financial records.
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