ECO Canada (Environmental Careers Organization of Canada) is a Canadian not-for-profit organization headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in 1992, the organization serves as a workforce development and labour market intelligence organization focused on Canada's environmental sector. ECO Canada works with industry, government, academia, Indigenous communities, and environmental professionals to support workforce development, training, certification, labour market research, and employment programs across Canada.
The organization states that its mission is to “ensure an adequate supply of people with the demonstrated skills and knowledge required to meet the environmental human resource needs of the public and private sectors.” ECO Canada operates nationally and provides services supporting environmental career development, professional certification, workforce planning, employer support, and environmental labour market research.
History ECO Canada was established in 1992 as the Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry (CCHREI) as part of Canada’s sector council initiative, a national effort to address workforce and skills development challenges within key industries. Its creation followed labour-market studies undertaken in the late 1980s and early 1990s that identified a lack of common definitions, occupational standards and training requirements for environmental employment in Canada. Led initially by Grant Trump, the organization began operations in 1993 with federal funding and a mandate to define the environmental workforce, identify required competencies and develop national occupational standards in consultation with industry, government and educational institutions.
Over the following decades, the organization expanded beyond labour-market research and occupational standards into professional certification, workforce development, environmental training, post-secondary accreditation, job placement and employer support. It established national certification credentials for environmental practitioners in the late 1990s, later reorganized under the Environmental Professional (EP®) and Environmental Professional in-training (EPt) designations, and adopted the name Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada) in 2005. Its later activities have included Indigenous environmental training through the BEAHR program, federally funded employment and skills initiatives, national research on environmental labour-market trends and skills gaps, and partnerships with governments, employers and educational institutions. In 2025, ECO Canada also launched Ocean Alliance Canada, extending its sector-development work into Canada’s sustainable blue economy.
Government-Funded Projects ECO Canada develops and delivers government-funded projects focused on environmental employment, workforce development, skills training, employer capacity, youth participation, inclusion, and the transition to lower-carbon industries. These projects have included wage-subsidy and work-placement programs, professional training initiatives, programs for internationally trained workers and Indigenous communities, and projects related to greenhouse-gas reduction and clean technology adoption. ECO Canada has reported creating more than 19,000 green jobs through its employment programming; its 2025–2026 Student Work Placement Program alone supported nearly 1,700 student placements across Canada.
Funding for these activities has come from federal and provincial governments, including Employment and Social Development Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Women and Gender Equality Canada, and the Government of Alberta. Individual funding arrangements vary by project and may include direct contribution agreements, departmental employment programs, and federal–provincial workforce initiatives.
Background ECO Canada is one of about 30 sector councils whose objectives are to: Implement national occupational standards for skills and training Promote employment opportunities via a skilled workforce Meet industry requirements for qualified new practitioners Provide labour market projections and information on environmental sector trends for governments, educators, youth, and industry planners Improve the dialogue between industry and the academic community Address labour market entry problems and school-to-work transition difficulties encountered by youth
ECO Canada provides resources including an online environmental job board, certification for environmental practitioners, a wage-subsidy internship program, environment industry-specific labour market reports, and the Environmental Employer of the Year Awards. ECO Canada also conducts research studies on human resources issues within the Canadian environmental industry. The organization publishes reports that cover topics such as HR best practices, industry compensation and labour market trends.
Sector council program ECO Canada is a member of the national sector council program. Although as diverse as the various industries, all sector councils touch upon technological advancements, human resource planning, training opportunities and industry forecasting.
Projects In 2006, ECO Canada and Royal Roads University partnered to create the Canadian Centre for Environmental Education (CCEE). The CCEE offers an environmental certificate program that takes online environmental university and college courses and combines them into one certificate. There are more than 20 universities and colleges participating by offering their courses. Some of these include Cape Breton University, University of Toronto, Red River College, Sault College, University of Victoria, Ryerson University, Royal Military College, BCIT, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST).
In May 2009, ECO Canada made available its 2009 Compensation Report. This document is Canada’s first detailed study of compensation related to key occupations in the environmental sector.
On October 1, 2009, ECO Canada announced its new national certification program for greenhouse gas (GHG) professionals. The certification was administered by ECO Canada's certification body, the Canadian Environmental Certification Approvals Board (CECAB).
Designations ECO Canada administers professional certifications and membership pathways for individuals working in environmental practice, greenhouse gas management, and related fields, as well as a designation for environmental employers. Its Environmental Professional framework includes credentials for early-career practitioners, experienced professionals, and environmental auditors, with requirements based on education, professional experience, competencies, ethical standards, and, for some designations, examinations and continuing professional development. ECO Canada has also developed specialized designation streams for greenhouse gas management and the sustainable blue economy. The greenhouse gas designations are based on Global Occupational Standards for GHG Professionals, while the Sustainable Blue Economy Professional designations are based on occupational standards for the ocean and marine workforce.
BEAHR Program ECO Canada’s BEAHR Indigenous training programs offer locally customized learning that provides accessible and meaningful career development to First Nation, Métis and Inuit members. This program helps overcome barriers to employment and develop competencies needed to actively contribute to Canada’s growing environmental sector.
The courses provide introductory training to those who want to work in the environmental sector in Canada. ECO Canada’s suite of Indigenous training programs is tailored to communities to provide entry-level opportunities in the environmental field. Since 2006, ECO Canada has delivered over 270 customized BEAHR Training Programs in partnership with 220+ First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across the country. Each delivery is customized to meet the needs and priorities of the respective communities, along with the local employment demands of that geographical area.
Wage Funding ECO Canada has many wage funding programs to help employers attract new talent while saving initial wage and training costs. Young practitioners and students are then given the opportunity to kickstart their career journey and gain meaningful work experience. ECO Canada has many funding partners that create several programs available. Each program has unique eligibility requirements for employers and job candidates. The organization has distributed over $90 million in wage and training subsidies and helped to fill 14,000 job placements.
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