There are several areas in which an environmental national accountant can specialize. First of all, to obtain this type of job in the accounting industry, you must hold an undergraduate degree in accounting with related courses in other aspects of the natural environment, such as geography. This is a growing field for which there are many possibilities for employment. The scope of the work depends on the individual situation, the magnitude of the investment and the type of environmental impacts that you need to compare.
One of the areas that an environmental national accountant has to look at is natural resource accounts. In this field, you would look at the data on the stocks of natural resources in the country as a whole or in one specific locality and use the numbers to determine how much of an impact a business is having on these stocks. The accounts usually include forests, agricultural lands, waters and fishery and sometimes there is a monetary value placed on them. There are technical problems in this type of valuation because the changes that occur could be the rest of natural events, such as storms. When environmental goods are not bought or sold, it is much harder to determine their value.
Emissions accounting is another growing field in which you could work as an environmental national accountant. You would use a matrix to identify the amount of pollution caused by various sectors of the economy. You can also further disseminate the data to determine which type of pollution has the most impact on the environment. Accounting in this field requires placing monetary value on the impacts so that you can compare the costs of engaging in activities to protect the environment.
Some companies engage in accounting activities to determine how much of their working capital is dedicated to environmental issues. In this type of work the environmental national accountant will carefully scrutinize the expenditures of a company to select those directly related to environmental projects and issues. This can include the costs associated with purchasing and installing equipment in the factory that reduces the amount of pollution or the fines a company has to pay for not adhering to the regulations.
An environmental national accountant can also be hired by the state or federal government to audit and inspect the financial records of companies that are known to engage in pollution causing activities. In this position, you may be somewhat of a forensic accountant in determining if a company has broken the law. You may also work to find areas where the government can develop new policies for companies or help companies in working to find ways of minimizing the impact they have on the environment.
You will need to have good analytical and problem solving skills when you become an environmental national accountant. You also need to have knowledge of business administration practices and the government regulations for the state in which you work. Exceptional oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills are also essential so that you can present your findings to the groups of people affected by the results.
