Two pilot projects on environmental profiles in the chemical and metal industries and in the public sector were conducted in four countries. Two aspects were studied: job requirements in selected enterprises and departments of the civil service and the occupational competencies of the staff carrying out these tasks. Studies on the chemical and metal industries were conducted in 20 enterprises in Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Spain joined the project later. The enterprises had between 100 and 26,000 employees. The four most important reasons why companies became active in environmental protection were environmental legislation, staff awareness, pressure of public opinion, and direct economic benefits. The 78 occupational profiles in the chemical and metal industries that were examined did not resemble each other. Occupations were classified under three main functional groups that took into account scope of responsibilities, important job content, priority given to occupations, and where occupations fitted into the hierarchy of the department. A description was developed that outlined the typical constellation of tasks of each occupation, typical competencies necessary to perform them, training qualifications, and entry requirements for the position. Initial findings of a comparative analysis of public sector occupations indicated a great similarity in the overall structure of the occupational profiles in the countries. The profiles were less complex than in industry, and the formal initial training less frequently involved higher education qualifications. (YLB)