Important notice: The NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management is being withdrawn.

In June 2021 we launched the revised NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate as a replacement.

  • Learning Partners can register Learners for either specification up until 31 December 2021.
  • From 01 January 2022, new learners can only register onto the April 2021 specification. Any new learner registered to the May 2012 specifications after this date will automatically be transferred to the new specification and the learner must take the assessment for that qualification.
  • The final assessment date for existing learners on this qualification is 5 August 2023.

A globally recognised qualification for those who have Environmental Management responsibilities or anyone wishing to have a career in this area.  The NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management covers the principles of environmental management and is relevant for both UK and international markets.

Those who hold the NEBOSH Environmental Certificate are able to help their employers demonstrate environmental excellence and social responsibility, as well avoid prosecution, litigation and loss of reputation. Of international relevance, the qualification provides knowledge and skills to support the introduction and maintenance of the environmental management standard ISO 14001 within your organisation.

Our qualifications are developed based on extensive research with environmental professionals, employers, professional bodies and regulators to ensure that they remain relevant, rigorous as well as achievable and practical.

You will be assessed on your ability to apply your skills and knowledge to a wide range of issues and how to deliver positive change to a real workplace.

Certificate in Environmental Management

"Before I took my first Certificate I thought I knew a lot. Now I realise just how much I didn’t know and I just want to keep on studying."

Omar Jaouane - QSS Group

“It’s an excellent qualification for those looking to formalise their experience or those embarking on a career in the field.”

Tim Compton, EHS Engineer at Marchwood Power Ltd

 


Who is it for?

Individual

This qualification is for anyone who needs to gain a sound understanding of the principles of environmental management and is relevant for both UK and international markets.

For some, the NEBOSH Environmental Certificate is a crucial first step towards establishing a lifelong professional career in environmental management. Many who take their Environmental Certificate progress on to a NEBOSH Environmental Diploma.

Around two thirds of health and safety practitioners now have environmental management as part of their overall day-to-day responsibilities at work. The knowledge and understanding gained from the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management can help you if you have these responsibilities.

Employer

The NEBOSH Environmental Certificate is used by many organisations to help them achieve and maintain certification against recognised international standards, such as ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems. This qualification will significantly improve the skills and knowledge of your team. This in turn could help your organisation to meet its environmental objectives.

People who hold the NEBOSH Environmental Certificate understand how to reduce environmental impacts, protecting you from litigation, damaging incidents and loss of reputation. Employing people who hold a NEBOSH qualification demonstrates a commitment to environmental excellence and provides an assurance to others. Organisations with a robust Environmental Management System who can demonstrate good environmental management through their supply chain are more likely to win new business.

 


 What you will learn

What does the course cover?

The qualification covers the practical issues of managing environmental risk. The syllabus takes a risk management approach, based around best practice and international industry standards, including:

  • Environmental Management Systems and aspect identification
  • Sources and use of energy and energy efficiency 
  • Control of pollution
  • Planning for and dealing with environmental emergencies.

Learners will learn how to carry out an environmental review of the workplace and prepare a report to management regarding the review with recommendations for improvement.

The NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management consists of two units, each separately assessed:

  • EC1: Management and control of environmental hazards 
  • EC2: Environmental practical application

No previous environmental management knowledge is required. Learners should note that the assessment includes a requirement to write a short report.

The syllabus is mapped to the national occupational standard for Environmental Awareness and Management (December 2009), published by Lantra Sector Skills Council. These are maintained on a database which is managed by Skills Development Scotland. www.ukstandards.org.uk/Pages/Search.aspx 

Further details can be found in the syllabus guide which can be downloaded from the 'Resources' section.

How is the qualification assessed?

Learners are assessed with a written examination for the taught unit, EC1.   There is also a practical assessment for unit EC2, designed to help you apply your learning at work and add value for your employer.  This must normally be taken within 10 working days of the written examination.  

Unit EC1 is assessed by a two-hour written examination. Each written examination consists of ten ‘short-answer’ questions and one ‘long-answer’ question. Scripts are marked by competent external examiners appointed by NEBOSH.

The aim of the practical application (Unit EC2) is to assess your ability to complete an environmental review of your workplace and prepare a report to management with recommendations and improvements.  

The review and report should clearly identify:

  • The nature and location of each environmental issue
  • The degree of risk associates with the environmental issue
  • Preventative and protective environmental measures already in place
  • the remedial actions, where appropriate, with relevant prioritisation

The practical examination is internally assessed by the learning partner and will be marked by an experienced and qualified environmental professional.

Students will be awarded a unit certificate for each unit passed. Once a learner has successfully completes both units (EC1 and EC2), the overall qualification parchment will be issued.

 


Entry requirements and exemptions

Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements for this qualification, however it is important that learners have a suitable standard of English language in order to understand and articulate the concepts contained in the syllabus.

NEBOSH recommends that learners undertaking this qualification should reach a minimum standard of English equivalent to an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.0 or higher in IELTS tests.

For further information please see the latest version of the IELTS Handbook or consult the IELTS website.

Learners wishing to assess their own language expertise may consult the FAQs on the IELTS website for information on taking the test.

Exemptions

There are no exemptions available for this qualification.


How to study

From 01 January 2022, new learners cannot be registered for the 2012 specification. Instead, please see the new Environmental Management Certificate, this is a replacement qualification launched in 2021. 
 
If you are an existing learner (this means you have been registered for at least one unit of the 2012 specifications, and the unit status must be either studying, absent, Pass or Refer) you have until August 2023 to complete the qualification. The final assessment date for existing learners on this qualification is 5 August 2023. Please speak to your Learning Partner to discuss your options and register for any outstanding assessments. Alternatively, you can use our Where to Study search to find a Learning Partner offering this qualification,  Find a Learning Partner, or  Contact Us for further support. 

What does it cost and how long does it take?

Course fees are determined by individual Learning Partners and vary depending on the format of the course. 

For this qualification you should plan your study around a minimum of 37 taught hours and approximately 33 hours of private study and background reading.

Further information on taught hours can be found in the syllabus located in the 'Resources' section below.


Professional recognition and SQA accreditation 

Maintaining professional standards

In the UK – and, increasingly, worldwide – regulatory accreditation is recognised as a badge of quality, allowing our qualifications to retain their highly regarded professional status.

UK accredited qualifications provide you with certain guarantees that the qualification:

  • Meets specific quality criteria that ensure it is fit for its purpose
  • Includes relevant content
  • Uses appropriate assessment methodology
  • Is mapped to relevant National Occupational Standards (NOS)
  • Is supported by relevant stakeholders including employers

The NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management has been accredited and credit rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). It sits in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at SCQF Level 6 with 9 SCQF credit points.

SCQF Level 6 is comparable to NQF/QCF Level 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

See the Qualifications Can Cross Boundaries chart issued by the UK regulators.

Where appropriate, the SQA Accreditation logo will appear on certificates awarded for this qualification. The SCQF logo, credit and level information will appear on the unit result notification. Please click here for further information on SCQF credit and levels.

Valued by Employers

NEBOSH qualifications can play an important part in ensuring that the health and safety provision businesses have in place is effective.  This may explain why so many organisations choose to include NEBOSH qualifications on their competency matrices. 


Examinations

Final assessment dates

The final assessment dates for this qualification have now passed, and results have been issued. Please contact your Learning Partner or use our online contact form if you need further support; Contact Us.

Examination Results

All results for assessments taken in English (including those for the practical application) should be received within 50 working days from the date of the examination or submission of assignment.  The specific date is written on your examination entry confirmation.

For assessments taken in any language other than English, all results (including those for the practical application) should be received within 70 working days.

Certificate-level practical assessments must normally be taken within 10 working days of a written examination, so the practical result will be included with the result for the written examination. 


What next?

If this is your first or even your second NEBOSH Certificate level qualification, you may be interested in taking another NEBOSH Certificate qualification, such as the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety or the NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management.

Many who hold a NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management, particularly those seeking a professional career in environmental management, progress on to a NEBOSH National Diploma in Environmental Management. While successful completion of one of our Certificates is not mandatory in order to enrol on a NEBOSH Diploma, it is recommended.

The connections between our qualifications are illustrated in more detail in the Qualifications Progression Leaflet found in the Resources section below.


Resources

 

This section provides guidance and useful information in support of this qualification.

If you would like any further information please get in touch through our Contact Us page - our Customer Enquiry Team will be happy to help.

Syllabus Guide

This Qualification Guide contains the detailed syllabus, assessment requirements and example question papers for the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management. 

This Guide remains the copyright of NEBOSH. The information in this publication may be reproduced in support of NEBOSH qualifications. If it is reproduced, NEBOSH should be clearly acknowledged as the source. If it is to be used for any other purpose, written permission must be obtained from NEBOSH.

Cert in Environmental Management Syllabus Guide

 

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read these document - available free of charge from www.Adobe.co.uk.

If you would like any further information, please contact the Customer Services team on 0116 2634700 or email [email protected]

Guide to the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management (May 2012)

 

 

 

 

 

 

EC2: Environmental Practical Application

EC2: Environmental Practical Application - Guidance and information for candidates

This document provides comprehensive guidance on the presentation and submission of the Unit EC2 practical application. It includes guidance on the structure and style of the report. Candidates should study this document carefully before submitting their practical application.

The guidance should be read carefully in conjunction with the practical application mark scheme, which is attached at the end of this guidance document, to provide a clear guide to the requirements of the practical application.

EC2 Guidance and information

EC2 Candidate environmental review proforma

EC2 Candidate report template

EC2 Declaration

Examiners' Reports

Examiners' Reports are available for Certificate-level qualifications and are free to download for both learners and Learning Partners (see below).

These reports include:

  • Questions used in the papers (strengths and weaknesses of candidate responses to each question with examples of good and more limited responses)
  • Some examples of what Examiners were expecting, particularly for those questions that candidates found most challenging
  • Information and guidance on examination technique and command words

The reports will not include mark schemes or sample answers and should be used by learners and Learning Partners to inform both tuition and revision sessions.

 

March 2020
September 2019
March 2019
September 2018
March 2018

 

Learners and Learning Partners will also benefit from using the appropriate syllabus guide, which can be downloaded from the resources section of each qualification web page. In particular, the guide sets out in detail the syllabus content and tutor reference documents for each element.

Additional guidance on command words is provided in ‘Guidance on command words used in learning outcomes and question papers’ which is also available in the Resources section below.

If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Enquiry Team; Contact us.

Sample New-look Questions Papers

These sample papers are available to download free of charge.  They contain questions relevant to the NEBOSH qualification and are in a format that learners will see in their final exam from the end of May 2019.

National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety - GC2

National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management - FC1

National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety - NCC1

International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety - IOG1

International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety - GC2

International Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management - IFC1

International Certificate in Construction Health and Safety - ICC1

Certificate in Environmental Management - EC1

If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team on + 44 (0)116 263 4700 or email [email protected].

Guidance on Command Words

NEBOSH Command Words

NEBOSH has prepared “Guidance on command words and question papers” for Certificate and Diploma-level qualifications. This document is available to download below.

This guidance provides:
  • A concise definition of each command word used on NEBOSH Certificate and Diploma-level question papers
  • Example responses both to everyday scenarios and typical Certificate and Diploma-level questions

If you require any further information please contact us.

Certificate:

Guidance on command words - Certificate (English)

Guidance on command words - Certificate (French)

Guidance on command words - Certificate (Portuguese unified)

Guidance on command words - Certificate (Russian)

Guidance on command words - Certificate (Arabic)

Guidance on command words - Certificate (Turkish)

Guidance on command words - Certificate (European Spanish)

Diploma:

Guidance on command words - Diploma

Policies, terms and fees

 

 

 

 
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