Environmental Campaigner

Salary
Graduate: Often on voluntary basis
Employee with 10-15 years experience: £20,000 - £29,000
Senior employee: £35,000 - £50,000

Main Employers

Government
Political organisations
Religious organisations
Charities and NGOs
Conservation organisations

Job Profile
Environmental campaigners help influence public opinion and can be effective at local, national and international levels. Whether campaigning against nuclear development, corporate globalisation, climate change, airport expansions, supermarket developments, or promoting green energy, recycling and the protection of the world's wildlife habitats, campaigners use a wide range of tactics. Environmental campaigners devise and implement short and long-term strategies, including lobbying the government for legislation to be made or amended.

Role and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

Engaging with the public on all levels and promoting citizen action
Planning campaigns on all levels
Providing research for decision-makers
Attending, organising and publicising rallies
Running news conferences, interviews and photo opportunities
Organising petitions and letter signings
Leafleting
Writing letters to news editors and policy makers
Testifying at hearings
Building coalitions with other non-profit organisations

Qualifications
There is no set educational route for those interested in becoming an environmental campaigner, but a genuine interest and commitment to improving the environment is essential. Formal qualifications are not always necessary and to be seriously considered for paid jobs you will need substantial voluntary experience.

Career Development
Campaigning for the environment can be a rewarding career. Although organisations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are the most visible, they offer few paid jobs. Much of their work is carried out by volunteers, where full support, training and resources are provided. Volunteers gain environmental knowledge, learn how to generate public support, gain experience of the campaigning process and obtain an understanding of political processes. Most campaigners will start in such voluntary positions, whilst also training in specialist skills such as science, law, IT, PR and marketing. If they are lucky, they are taken on full time.

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