For the purposes of certification, specialisation in Climate Change is defined as professional competency in the scientific principles, risk assessment methodologies, adaptation strategies, regulatory frameworks and greenhouse gas accounting practices related to environmental aspects of Climate Change. Certification under the CEnvP Scheme is designed to promote and embed sound practice by recognising ethical and professionally competent practitioners in these areas of practice.
Overview
To qualify for CEnvP-CC you need:
• Educational Qualifications: An environmental degree or a degree with a substantial environmental component, with evidence of climate-related components. (Not required for current CEnvPs).
• Work experience in lieu of educational qualifications: At the discretion of the Certification Board, ten (10) years of appropriate experience in lieu of education may be assessed for equivalence with educational qualifications.
• Work Experience: Ten (10) years of full-time experience in the functional areas of environmental practice gained during the last seventeen (17) years, with a minimum of five (5) recent years in the functional areas of climate change, verifiable by nominated Work Verifiers.
• A Curriculum Vitae: Containing as much detail as possible (experience, roles and responsibilities, skills, outcomes, project list etc.) to evidence you are a respected, competent, ethical and active member of the profession.
• Referees: Nomination of three (3) experienced environmental professionals who are willing to act as Referees with at least one (1) being a current CEnvP-CC or eligible to be a CEnvP-CC and one (1) being external to your current place of employment.
• Areas of Practice: Nomination of one to three (1 – 3) areas of practice that you currently or have been working in.
• Key Proficiencies and Professional Competency: Through written demonstration and documentary evidence:
1- An essay style document demonstrating the five (5) Key Proficiencies
2- At least one (1) climate risk assessment or a risk assessment review report, where you been a lead contributor, to demonstrate proficiency in Climate Risk Assessment
3- Two (2) to four (4) additional documents where you have been a key contributor that demonstrate professional competency in the other required key proficiencies and the application of appropriate methods, standards and tools.
4- An accompanying statement for each of the additional documents
• Past CPD: Detailing previous undertaken training and professional development is highly recommended.
• Future CPD: Demonstration of ongoing commitment to training and professional development via a CPD plan that will meet the minimum one hundred (100) CPD points biennially once certified.
• Commitment to ethics and professional practice: Including acceptance of the EIANZ Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
• Statement of Claim: A signed and witnessed statutory declaration confirming the accuracy of the materials provided to the Certification Board.
• Optional additional documentation: Such as reports, publications, presentations, awards etc.
Application Process
Application Process
To be certified as a Climate Change Specialist, practitioners must also hold CEnvP General certification.
Practitioners who do not already hold General certification can apply for both CEnvP General and Climate Change Specialist certification simultaneously.
Applications can be submitted online anytime during the year and a non-refundable application fee applies.
Applications are usually processed within 3 to 6 months. However, incomplete or flawed applications will be delayed until all missing documentation is received.
As part of the application process, you will be required to attend an online interview with a panel of three certified practitioners. During the interview, you will be asked a series of questions related to training, skills, knowledge, experience, contribution to and understanding of environmental practice, ethical behaviour, and other professional attitudes.
For example, you will:
1. Be asked about how you applied your skills in an ethical and professional environmental practice
context.
2. Be provided with one or more Ethical Scenarios to respond to.
3. Need to elaborate on your work experience and comment on specific roles in the context of being a competent professional within your nominated areas of environmental practice.
4. Be expected to discuss your understanding of sustainability and how your work has contributed to sustainability, environmental protection and practice excellence.
5. Need to comment on your capacity to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) while certified.
Successful applicants will receive an official CEnvP certificate, a personalised CEnvP seal to use and will be entitled to use the title ‘Certified Environmental Practitioner’ and the post-nominal letters ‘CEnvP-CC’ as follows: Mr/s Alex Doe BSc CEnvP-CC.
To maintain your CEnvP status renewal fees must be paid annually and evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) must be provided on a two-year basis. The certification fee for the first year is calculated on a pro-rata basis from the month a practitioner was certified.
Unsuccessful applications can be either deferred for a period no longer than 12 months or rejected and will receive an outcome letter from the Certification Board addressing their decision and shortcomings identified during the application process. Deferred applicants may re-apply within the deferral period without charge when the conditions of the deferral have been met.
Eligibility and Evidence
Educational Qualifications
A degree that includes core elements of climate change study will generally constitute the minimum
requirement. The tertiary qualification may be (for example) an environmental, economic, social, science, engineering, accountancy, or health degree that included climate change courses or electives. Verification of climate change content must be provided, e.g. a transcript or academic record. Ten (10) years of appropriate work experience may be submitted in lieu of a suitable tertiary qualification.
Because Climate Change is a young profession, some climate change practitioners may not have a suitable climate change related tertiary qualification. They may have learnt either by doing, e.g. policy development, fire management, or have studied before qualifications were available. They will need to verify that they have developed skills over at least ten (10) years of on-the-job learning.
Evidence of your qualifications is required in the form of certified copies (refer to the FAQs on our website for a list of authorised signatories in Australia, and in New Zealand). These must be uploaded and submitted together with the online application. Alternatively, direct access via My eQuals is also accepted.
Evidence of Name Change will be required if your current name differs from the name on the educational qualifications.
Work Experience
The minimum requirement is ten (10) years of full-time equivalent professional experience gained during the last seventeen (17) years, with a minimum of five (5) recent years in the functional areas of Climate Change. For those without a suitable Climate Change related qualification, the five (5) years of climate change practice is extended to ten (10) years.
Only experience gained after obtaining the lowest level of eligible educational qualifications can be counted towards the experience required.
Work experience timeframe: The seventeen (17) year window allows part-time workers as well as those returning to the workforce from a long leave period associated with caring, illness or parental leave, to meet the required full-time equivalence work experience.
For the purpose of calculating full-time equivalent (FTE) work experience, no more than thirty-five (35) hours per week will be recognised (even if working for more than one (1) employer at the time) and the following metrics are used:
• Full-time / 1.0 (35 hrs / week),
• 4 days / 0.8 (28 hrs / week),
• 3 days / 0.6 (21 hrs / week),
• 2 days / 0.4 (14 hrs / week),
• 1 day / 0.2 (7 hrs / week).
Functional work experience: Supervisory, teaching, research, policy, regulation, community development work, conservation work and volunteer work may be recognised as contributing to the years of ‘functional experience’, providing you can demonstrate how these have contributed to relevant competence.
Applicants with experience in lieu of education: In exceptional circumstances, ten (10) years of appropriate work experience may be submitted in lieu of a suitable tertiary qualification.
Work Verifiers: The experience claimed must be independently verified by a “Work Verifier”, a current or former employer, senior colleague, or Referee who knew you at that time and can specifically confirm the experience claimed. Work Verifiers are required to complete an online form sent to them by email after the application has been submitted (please ensure they are notified beforehand). These individuals may be contacted by the Administration team, Registrar, Assessment Panel or Certification Board.
Referees
Details of three (3) respected environmental professionals willing to act as Referees is required.
Referees:
• should have known you for at least two (2) years in roles such as supervisor, educator, senior peer
or client,
• must be familiar with your experience, skills and attributes as they relate to the relevant areas of
practice, ethics and professional integrity,
• at least one must be external to your current place of employment,
• at least one must be an experienced Climate Change practitioner who is a CEnvP-CC Specialist or
would be eligible to apply for CEnvP-CC Specialist certification themselves,
• Referees who are not CEnvPs must provide sufficient information / CV / LinkedIn in the Referee
report to demonstrate that they are experienced environmental professionals.
Nominated Referees will be required to fill in an online Report sent to them by email after the Application form has been submitted. Please ensure the Referees are notified beforehand.
Areas of Practice
Areas of Practice are fields you are currently or have been working in (and not recognised as a CEnvP
specialisation). The Areas of Practice you nominate will be discussed during your interview. Once you are certified, these will be used in online profiles and directories.
Key Proficiencies
You must be able to demonstrate knowledge and experience across FIVE (5) areas of proficiency in both your written application and at interview to achieve Climate Change Specialist certification.
For Proficiencies 1 – 2, you must demonstrate that you have PROFICIENT understanding.
1. Climate Change Science
• Greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect and climate change
• Anthropogenic Climate change and the causes
• Scenario modelling
• Climate Change data and sources
• Communicating Climate Change science
2. Climate Risk Assessment
• Standards in the jurisdiction in which you work, and the international standards that apply
• Physical risks (Acute and Chronic relating to climate change); consequence and impact
modelling
• Transitional risks (from response to climate change), including but not limited to:
– Policy and Legal
– Technology
– Market
– Reputation
– Global agreements
– Domestic legislation
– International trading policies
For Proficiencies 3 – 5, you must demonstrate that you have PROFICIENT or FUNCTIONAL understanding, with at least one of these being PROFICIENT.
3. Adaptation Pathways
• Transition Planning and decision-making, including:
– Project management or technical assessments for climate initiatives (emission reduction
planning and strategies, atmospheric removals or adaptation/transition pathways).
– Mitigation options
– Adaptation (resilience building) options
– Carbon credits
4. Greenhouse Gas Accounting
• International Protocols and standards
• Accounting Methods
• Carbon Foot printing
• Emission measurement
• Carbon Accounting
5. Policy, Legal and Regulatory Framework
• Legislation relevant to the jurisdiction in which you work
• International agreements
Definitions
For clarity in expectations, the Certification Scheme uses consistent definitions of “proficient” and “functional” across its specialisations:
Proficient Understanding
• Sound knowledge of competency element
• Broad experience
• Demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and experience to achieve objectives for a range of common issues
• Awareness of limitation of skills and the ability to identify where and how to obtain expert advice for complex issues
• Ability to communicate effectively and at a proficient level about typical issues
Functional Understanding
• Basic level of knowledge of competency element
• Limited relevant experience
• Ability to apply knowledge and experience to achieve objectives for simple issues
• Awareness of limitation of skills and the ability to identify where solutions might be sought to issues
• Ability to communicate effectively within the limits of knowledge
Professional Competency
As evidence to support claims of Climate Change specialist proficiencies you are required to:
• Submit an essay style document responding to the following five (5) questions:
1. How do your skills and experience demonstrate that you meet each of the five (5) key
proficiencies?
2. How have you demonstrated your analytical skills that draw on your knowledge and experience?
3. How have you demonstrated your interpersonal and Climate Change communication skills across a range of stakeholders?
4. What is an instance of stakeholder concern or conflict you have addressed, and how did you
address this?
5. What are some of the key professional challenges you have had to deal with?
5.a) Why did you make the decisions you did?
5.b) What environmental outcome did you achieve? To what extent did your advice influence
the outcome?
5.c) In hindsight, could you have achieved a better outcome?
• Submit at least one (1) climate risk assessment or a risk assessment review report, where you have
been a lead contributor, to demonstrate proficiency in Climate Risk Assessment.
• Submit two (2) to four (4) additional documents where you have been a key contributor that
demonstrate professional competency in the other required key proficiencies and the application
of appropriate methods, standards and tools.
In addition, submit an accompanying statement for each of the additional documents
answering the following six (6) questions:
1. What were the key features and context of the project?
2. What was your role in preparing the documented evidence?
3. Over what time period were these documents written?
4. Which parts of which documents demonstrate proficiencies?
5. What were the key learnings of each document for the document’s recipient? (no more than 5).
6. What are the key limitations of this work?
Commitment to CPD (Continued Professional Development)
To demonstrate commitment to CPD, you will need to provide details of:
• Past CPD. It is strongly recommended you submit a CPD log of the past two (2) years of activities or a statement explaining your past activities to enable the Registrar, Assessment Panel and Certification Board to ascertain your understanding of the requirement post certification.
• Future CPD. Provide a plan to accrue at least one hundred (100) CPD points biennially once certified. This should include the type of activities and the number of hours you are expecting to spend for each of them.
Ethical Conduct and Statement of Claim
It is intrinsic to the CEnvP Scheme that Certified Practitioners behave with the highest levels of integrity and professional conduct. Applicants are therefore asked to:
• ensure you have read, understood and confirmed that you abide by the EIANZ Code of Ethics &
Professional Conduct.
• disclose matters relevant to past issues of professional conduct.
A statutory declaration confirming accuracy of the provided materials is required.
Important Information
Before you begin your online application form:
1- Read the Guidance Notes to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for certification.
2- Review the Application Checklist to confirm you have all the necessary information and documents.
3- Download the following Templates: Official Statement of Claim, CPD Log, Commitment to CPD Statement and Key Proficiencies.
Once you start your application form you can save and resume later. However, the last saved link is only valid for 30 days.