The Engine of The New New Zealand

Sustainability

Having kids, or grandkids, might seem like a long way off to you.

But if we don't think about them now, we might leave them a whole truckload of serious and potentially life-threatening problems. Sustainability is about doing things in a way that meets our present needs without causing those problems.

For a business, that can mean everything from environmentally-friendly product packaging and waste paper recycling to health insurance for employees and funding new community facilities such as kindergartens, playgrounds, and sports fields.

Find out more about what career you might have and how you can do it too.

How will YOU bring change to the world?

Environmental engineering

Environmental engineering is a relatively new discipline, and it’s growing.

It focuses on using engineering to improve the environment – that’s everything from the air and water to recycling and public health.

That can be everything from waste water management, air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, public health issues, industrial hygiene and environmental sustainability. It’s about both designing systems, and advice on how to improve existing systems to ensure that the environment is protected.

Find out more about what jobs there are in sustainability-related fields  and how you can get there too.

Sustainable business in NZ

The New Zealand business community began responding to climate change and environmental degradation in the late 1990s.

Today consumers and clients are becoming highly discerning about whose products and services they purchase, employees are choosy who they work for, the Emissions Trading Scheme is bearing down, and energy costs are increasing.

Alice Andrew, environmental engineer and Massey alumna says the fast-rising price tag on pollution means sustainable business practice isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also crucial from a commercial perspective.

Alice says New Zealand is ranked highly in terms of human development (economics and standards of living) and education, and our people are overall satisfied with living here. Our agriculture is considered world class and we have a positive brand and reputation.

New Zealand’s long-standing investment in science, research and innovation has boosted its international reputation.

But there is a lot more to do. Will you help?

What career will I have?

If you want to turn your interest in the environment into a career, there are many paths open to you.

Despite being a hot topic in business and all aspects of our lives, there is still a huge amount of work to do if we are to create a more sustainable planet. There is demand from many different areas for people with knowledge and skills in environmental sustainability.

You may find work as a consultant with engineering firms, or with local councils or businesses looking to decrease their ‘environmental footprint’. Other opportunities include working with research and development, perhaps in universities, research institutes, or companies. It’s a growing area of importance, so your expertise will be sought-out, and new types of jobs are being created all the time.

Initial roles might include things like:

• Feasibility studies of environmental and sustainable energy schemes
• Design of environmental technologies and sustainable energy systems
• Supervision of operations
• Research in environmental technology and sustainable energies
• Environmental monitoring and management.

Preserving and managing

Local and national government departments employ people to focus on specific aspects of the environment and how to preserve it through allocation of water resources, ecological restoration, and management of weeds and pests, waste and toxic substances, and endangered species.

Potential employers both in New Zealand and overseas include Central Government, Regional, District, and City Councils, and private sector consultants and entrepreneurs. Crown Research Institutes and environmental/conservation organisations will need people with expertise in this area, too. You might find a rewarding career in environmental planning and policy, coastal management, landscape management, agriculture and forestry, tourism and recreation, National Parks, renewable energy, and biodiversity management.

A postgraduate qualification could qualify you to work in an interdisciplinary team in a private environmental consulting firm or a government laboratory. Or you may work with a regional council investigating the nature of freshwater ecosystems. Many of our graduates work with the Department of Conservation or the Ministry for the Environment. Or you could look at urban planning. The world is your oyster!

How can I do it too?

Passion for environmental causes will only get you so far. Although even small choices like using energy-efficient lighting can make a difference, if you’re more interested in making a bigger impact you’ll want to explore one of our degree options.

Alice did a specific degree in environmental engineering. We no longer offer this, but that’s because sustainability is recognized as a mainstream topic, not something that needs to be a separate focus. Sustainability themes are tackled in all of Massey’s Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) programmes.

It is about focussing on not just how to better meet the needs of today’s society, but the future demands on it, and it will give you a really solid start in the mechanics of building a more sustainable future.

If you’re interested in the government and policy side of things, a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies may suit you. You’ll learn more about the social and cultural aspects of conservation and sustainability. If your interests and skills lean more toward social studies and geography rather than the sciences, this is probably the way you’ll want to go.

If you’re keen to get your hands a little dirtier in a research or other more hands-on role, a Bachelor of Science in either Ecology or Environmental Science will give you the skills you’ll need.

The Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning gives you a grounding in both the policy and research approaches to sustainability, along with some design courses. The programme will give you practical experience through fieldwork, workshops, studio work, case studies, and interaction with current practitioners. By the time you finish the programme, you may have already designed the city of the future.

In addition to the usual research- and education-oriented roles available to university graduates, Massey’s Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning could net you a job as an urban planner. So if you’re a SimCity addict, you can put your skills to work building a real city that can cope with whatever nature, and humans (hopefully not too many tornadoes and monster attacks) might throw at it.

For entry into the Engineering programme, you’ll need 16 credits at NCEA Level 3 in Physics and Mathematics with Calculus. All of our Engineering degrees are Honours programmes, so your grades should be as high as you can possibly get them.

Feel free to or get in touch with us if you have any questions about studying in areas related to sustainability.

Why Massey?

Massey has the expertise and commitment to sustainability to help you have a career that can make a difference.

Our Environmental Studies programme is interdisciplinary, meaning you’ll study both the societal and scientific aspects of conservation and sustainability. The Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning meets the accreditation requirements of the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI), a professional body for planners that is recognized by planning institutes overseas.

Whether you’re interested in crafting governmental policies to drive businesses and society toward sustainable practices, want to perform scientific research into how to make existing practices and technology more environmentally friendly, or want to design the ultimate Green City of the Future, one of Massey’s degree programmes has you covered.

Help us all figure out how we can live within our means, on the only home we’ve got.