by K.-M. Denyse Jones, REM, CESM, Prorsa Consulting

There are a couple of “shifts” you may be missing, but not necessarily in the primary duties/activities of an environmental consultant.

First, an increase in client/consumer research and the rise in social media use has resulted in more consultants actively educating potential leads/clients on hot environmental issues. Microplastics, environmental justice, sustainability, etc. don’t fall under the traditional definition of environmental risk. But these topics help to educate potential clients and showcase the consultants’ expert knowledge on the larger environmental management discussion.

Second, I believe more environmental professionals are entering the consulting arena as environmental, health, and safety generalists. Thus, these consultants may offer both environmental and health & safety services to clients because they possess experience in both disciplines (I fall into this category). In these cases, consultant posts on health & safety topics would be just as relevant as environmental messages.

In my opinion, the ‘what is’ of environmental consulting has not fundamentally changed. However, the marketing strategies and the background experience of environmental consultants may have.

K-M. Denyse Jones is the Owner & Principal Consultant of Prorsa Consulting.  With more than 15 years of environmental experience, she has worked primarily in the environmental testing, municipal government, mining, and lime industries.  During the last 7 years, Ms. Jones has expanded into the safety arena.  She has participated in multiple EHS management system implementations, been instrumental in developing & maintaining various EHS compliance programs, and conducted numerous professional training classes & public outreach sessions.  Ms. Jones is skilled at performing EHS data analysis, regulatory analysis, audits, and compliance reporting.