There has been tremendous pressure on organisations to adopt eco-friendly business practices.DR ASMITA CHITNIS tells students how an MBA degree in Energy and Environment is a lucrative option

Energy and environment always have been integral components of the world’s economy. However, in recent years, there has been increasing awareness regarding utilisation of energy in a way that it conserves natural resources and makes environment sustainable. There has been tremendous pressure on organisations to adopt green/eco-friendly business practices.

Hence, organisations are now seeking energy and environment professionals with business and managerial knowledge. Students with an MBA in energy and environment are the right fit for this profile. If you are planning to pursue MBA in this niche, you can look forward to getting jobs in India and abroad across gas and petroleum, electrical power, nuclear power, coal and renewable energy sectors; environmental agencies, consultants, advisories and all commercial businesses that are taking environmental conservation and preservation initiatives.

Here are some career options available to students with an MBA in energy and environment:

Energy Manager

Energy managers are primarily responsible for energy efficiency planning and reduction of energy costs in an enterprise. They implement conservation practices to ensure that the building, machinery, equipment, staff and processes utilise energy efficiently. They also perform energy audits to plug in loopholes in energy utilisation and act as sustainability strategist for business decisions.

Sustainability Manager

Sustainability managers enable sations to meet environmental standards and regulations. They also develop strategies and policies to reduce green energy waste and align organisational goals with ecological sustainability. They work closely with top management, employees, customers, vendors and other stakeholders to communicate and promote organisation’s sustainability campaigns.

Renewable Energy Scientist

Renewable energy scientists work on procurement or production of machinery, processes or technologies that can utilise renewable sources such as sunlight, rain, oceans, geothermal heat and wind to produce power. Students who have engineering or any kind of science and math background along with an MBA can have a good career path in this field.

Forester

Foresters handle a range of responsibilities such as field investigation, forest auditing, forest planning, forest operations, forest tourism, land management, forest fire management, soil conservation, wildlife protection and others. Basically, they deal with every aspect of forestry, whether it is commercial, social, legal or administrative. Their key role is to create, manage and conserve forests, including its biodiversity for safeguarding ecological balance and improving yields.

Ecotourism Specialist

Ecotourism has become quite a popular branch of hospitality industry in the last few years. Ecotourism specialists scout destinations which can be developed into tourist spots without adversely impacting their natural beauty and environment. They ensure that every tourist-oriented activity right from construction and vehicle traffic to sightseeing and waste disposal are environmental-friendly.

Urban Planner

Urban planners collaborate with municipal officials, architects, community developers, environmentalists and other service providers for sustainable development of a town, city or region. They ensure optimal utilisation of all resources in a way that they do not stress out the environment and at the same time provide an equal standard of living at the right price point to the residents.

Green/Sustainable Architect

These architects incorporate eco-friendly and energy-efficient practices into the design and construction of buildings, utilities, public spaces and landscapes. They make sure that manmade creations do not uproot or degenerate the natural environment and its flora and fauna in any way.

Energy Trader

This role is ideal for someone who loves number-crunching, has a strong analytical aptitude and want to build a career in the stock market. Energy traders typically act as a broker/middleman between buyers and sellers of energy commodities such as wind power, crude oil, natural gas and electricity. They perform all duties of a regular stock market broker, albeit limit their dealings only to energy stocks.

So, one can see that the successful completion of the programme MBA in Energy and Environment can lead to variety of job profiles from different organisations in a niche domain, and hence, can offer rewarding career opportunities.

The writer is Director, Symbiosis Institute of International Business