Consultancy

Companies are increasingly looking to integrate sustainability into their business models and operations due to pressure from regulators, investors, and consumers. As companies strive to set sustainability goals, publish annual reports, and identify, assess, and prioritise sustainability-related impacts, risks, and opportunities, sustainability consulting has become an increasingly critical service to support the sustainability transition for businesses. Consultants help to drive this change by working with businesses across a range of industries and sectors to understand and improve corporate sustainability performance. The types of projects consultants work on can be very diverse and segmented, ranging from hydrogen-specific projects, to measuring greenhouse gas emissions, or advising C-suite executives on setting a realistic sustainability strategy. In the UK, the market for  sustainability consultancy is set to almost double over the next five years, reaching 16 billion GBP by 2027. 

Increasingly, the role of sustainability consultants is to help companies make sense of, and respond to evolving mandatory regulations and voluntary sustainability-related frameworks. Reading widely and having an understanding of global and regional frameworks and regulations is useful for preparing to work as a sustainability consultant. 

Based on the survey, what are the key skill sets most important to succeeding in this role? 

1. Strategic and systems thinking. The role requires thinking critically about connections, key priority areas as the field evolves, and seeing the business as part of a bigger picture of societal and environmental transformation. This includes general knowledge about the relationship between the environment and society. 

2. Project and programme management. Some respondents highlighted the importance of being able to build a business case for sustainability and then effectively delivering projects for clients. The Group Head of Sustainability in a multinational company pointed out that, “much of sustainability is about implementation, so it has to make business sense.” 

3. Research and analytical skills. The role requires an understanding of the science behind environmental issues such as climate change, an awareness of policy developments, and an understanding of the latest market trends and drivers in sustainability within the private sector. Thus, being able to identify credible sources of updated information is important for effective project delivery and for communication with clients. Additionally, data analysis is crucial, especially when managing large datasets like greenhouse gas inventories (lists of carbon dioxide emission sources) and biodiversity data. The ability to synthesise extensive information to identify key gaps and insights is immensely valuable.

4. Negotiation skills are essential for this role, which involves collaborating with various stakeholders to understand trade-offs and develop long-term strategies that can be adopted by cross-functional teams within a clients’ business. 

5. Useful technical skills: 

   1. Microsoft Excel

   2. Microsoft Powerpoint

   3. Carbon modelling

   4. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) 

Please refer to the ‘Useful Resources’ section of this toolkit for further reading of relevant material in sustainability consulting.