Environmental Awareness & Management Training Courses

Environmental training runs from a one-day site course to professional qualifications for the people who run an organisation's environmental management. Which one you need depends on your responsibility: keeping a site within environmental law, looking after an ISO 14001 management system, or building a career in sustainability. Courses here are run in the classroom, live online and as e-learning.

Click or tap any part of the scene to see its courses: CITB SEATS, the ISEP (IEMA) Foundation and Certificate, the NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate and ISO 14001.

Site courseCITB SEATSOne day, for site supervisors and managers; valid for five years

Professional bodyISEP (formerly IEMA)Renamed in 2025; course content unchanged

Management systemsISO 14001The international standard for environmental management systems

Key lawEnvironmental Protection Act 1990Including the duty of care for waste

Which environmental course do you need?

Pick by what you are responsible for, not by job title. A site supervisor and a sustainability manager need very different courses, and none of the professional qualifications replaces a site card.

Construction

CITB Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme (SEATS)

A one-day CITB Site Safety Plus course for site supervisors and managers, covering the environmental side of construction work and the law behind it. The certificate lasts five years, and you retake the course before it expires. Compare SEATS courses.

Everyone

Short sustainability and awareness courses

For staff who need to understand their own environmental impact rather than manage anyone else's: ISEP Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce, the version for managers, and NEBOSH Environmental Awareness at Work.

Starting out

ISEP Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management

The entry-level professional qualification, usually five days, for people moving into environmental or sustainability work, including from health and safety. It is assessed by an open-book online exam, and passing supports ISEP Associate membership (AISEP). Compare Foundation courses.

Managing

NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate

Usually five days of tuition, for managers and supervisors who handle environmental issues, and a natural fit alongside NEBOSH health and safety qualifications. Assessed by an open-book exam and a practical review of environmental aspects and impacts at a real workplace. Compare NEBOSH EMC courses.

Practitioner

ISEP Certificate in Environmental Management

For people already working in environmental roles, usually around 15 days of tuition. Assessed by assignments and an assessment of workplace competence, and the route to ISEP Practitioner membership (PISEP). Compare Certificate courses.

Senior

Diplomas

Diploma-level study for senior and specialist roles: the NEBOSH National Diploma and International Diploma in Environmental Management, and the ISEP Diploma in Sustainable Business Practice.

ISO 14001

Environmental management system courses

Awareness, implementation and internal auditor courses for organisations working to ISO 14001, or working towards certification. See ISO 14001 courses.

IEMA is now ISEP

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment renamed itself the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals in 2025. Courses and membership grades carry on with new names (AIEMA became AISEP, PIEMA became PISEP), and some course titles now add "Sustainability". Providers may list a course under either name.

Common questions

Is environmental training a legal requirement?

No law names a specific course. Organisations do have to comply with environmental law, including the duty of care for waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and training is how most show their people know what that involves. In construction, principal contractors commonly ask supervisors and managers for SEATS. Organisations certified to ISO 14001 also have to show that people whose work affects environmental performance are competent.

Does the SEATS certificate expire?

Yes. A SEATS certificate is valid for five years. To keep it current you retake the one-day course before it expires.

Should I take NEBOSH or ISEP?

Both are respected. The ISEP Foundation Certificate is the usual way in to ISEP membership and suits people making environment or sustainability their main job. The NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate suits health, safety and environment roles, particularly for people who already hold, or plan to take, NEBOSH health and safety qualifications. Check which one your employer or a target job asks for.

Are IEMA qualifications still recognised?

Yes. The rename from IEMA to ISEP did not change course content or membership criteria; only the names changed.

Can I study online?

Yes. SEATS runs live online with a tutor, and the ISEP and NEBOSH courses are available as live online sessions or self-paced e-learning as well as in the classroom. The listings below show the format for each course.

Compare environmental course dates below

Envico lists environmental courses from approved providers across the UK, so you can compare dates, prices and formats in one place. Working in construction? See the CITB Site Safety Plus range. Training a team? The free group travel cost calculator shows which venue is cheapest for everyone, and whether an on-site course works out better.