A Spotlight on Protecting our Planet!

Earth Month 2024

Every year, we celebrate Earth Month during April, with Earth Day itself on April 22. This is a movement organised by US Senator Gaylord Nelson back in 1970, following the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969, the worst oil spill in California on record. April 22, and April as a month all in, was seen as a convenient time for American students to attend “teach-ins” regarding the environment and related issues, in between Spring Break and finals.

During the first official Earth Day on April 22, 1970, over 20 million people across the US became involved, and this has been heralded as a key event that led to President Richard Nixon signing the Clean Air Act and creating the Environmental Protection Agency in December of that year.

It wasn’t until 1990 that the rest of the world followed suit, however Earth Day and Earth Month are now recognised on an international level. This year, the theme for Earth Month has been on plastics and how these impact our natural world.

Building Awareness through Targeted Training

We cannot grow awareness if we don’t talk and train in the issues that matter. As the years have gone by and technology has moved on, the problems our planet faced in 1970 have changed – we now worry about things that our predecessors wouldn’t have imagined even being a problem, such as global warming, plastic pollution and food waste.

Key areas to train in with regards the environment include:

• Sustainability
• Risk reduction
• Compliance
• Resource efficiency
• Public health
• Climate change
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Environmental Awareness & Management training options

Different industries will have different needs in terms of training in environmental awareness and management. Scenarios where work activities may produce a lot of pollution, for example, will need to train specifically in this area.

Environmental Training Options

IEMA - Accredited IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) courses focus on environmental management, assessment, and sustainability. Training options include the Associate Course in Environmental Management and Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce.

NEBOSH – NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) training focuses on health, safety and environmental management as key aspects. Accredited NEBOSH options include the Environmental Management Certificate and the Online Classroom option for the same course.

IOSH – Institute of Safety & Health courses focus on the essentials of health and safety in the workplace, including environmental issues.
Accredited IOSH courses in this area include the Working with Environmental Responsibilities course which is available both face to face and in an Online Classroom format.