In many accounts, hope is held that environmental managers implement grand plans or political programmes.
At the heart of the notion of environmental managers is, thus, a pragmatic[2] and rational actor who optimises environments in orientation to some aim.
[3] Steve Fineman studied UK managers and their "'green' selves and roles" in the last decade, suggesting that while environmental problems may be recognised by them, production is seen as legitimising pollution.
Examples for the latter are farmers[8] who are to implement environmental regulation, citizens subject to e.g. recycling legislation or independent auditors who use laws as standards.
The very notion that humans may be able to manage environments is criticised for being top-down, anthropocentric and short-sighted.