You're considering a career in sustainability. How can you make the biggest impact?

Sustainability is paramount for environmental preservation, resource availability, and societal well-being. It tackles the most urgent and complex challenges facing humanity and the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, inequality, and pollution while ensuring resources for future generations. Socially, it promotes health equity, reduces inequalities, and fosters economic growth through innovation. Looking forward, sustainability secures a livable future, builds resilience, and necessitates collective responsibility. It's not merely a buzzword but a vital concept for a healthy planet and a prosperous future. Embracing sustainable practices is crucial for generations to come.

Sustainability is important for preserving our planet and natural resources like water and air. Building a sustainable future and cultivating sustainable ways of living will reduce pollution and protect habitats of plants and animals.

Sustainability by itself is not important. What is important is to achieve the sustainability of the global economic system by 2050. Only in this manner will we avert the worst effects of climate change and be able to address issues such as widespread poverty. sustainability by itself does not 'offer' anything, it is a concept. What matters is how we engage with it and work to make a world that is socially equitable, environmentally just, and economicly prosperous for all.

A sustentabilidade é importante porque permite o crescimento do capital econômico das organizações de forma que exista também o crescimento da sociedade que orbita em torno das mesmas, sendo empregados, fornecedores e outras partes interessadas de forma que exista também a preservação dos recursos naturais a partir do uso consciente.

Prioritizing sustainability is essential for preserving the environment, ensuring the availability of resources, and promoting societal well-being. It addresses urgent and intricate challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, inequality, and pollution while safeguarding resources for future generations. Embracing sustainable practices is imperative for the well-being of generations to come.

Any career can advance sustainability. You could be a technician in a wind farm that has discovered a better practice that includes yearly production by 0.5%. You might be a CEO that pitches a model toward a more environmentally-respectful business model to shareholders. You could also be an analyst in private equity deciding to quit and work for a company focussing only on ESG investing. You could be a project manager in charge of a bank's new product to fund small-scale projects that advance social equity. You could also be a researcher attempting to solve the greatest energy-related conundrums of our time. Anyone can help, and everyone should work in sustainability.

Sustainability careers span various fields, from environmental consulting to renewable energy engineering, all aiming for positive change and environmental justice. Roles include sustainability managers, CSR specialists, and sustainability educators, each contributing to a more sustainable future.

Focus on your area of expertise: ✅Identify your strengths and interests: What are you passionate about within sustainability? Is it renewable energy, conservation, circular economy, or something else? ✅Focusing on an area where you have genuine interest and knowledge will allow you to excel and contribute meaningfully. ✅Develop specialized skills: Depending on your chosen field, specific skills might be highly valuable. This could include data analysis, engineering, policy development, communication, or project management. Invest in acquiring relevant skills through education, certifications, or hands-on experience.

Some examples of great sustainability careers include: Climate Scientist: Conducts research to identify, control, or eliminate sources of pollutants or hazards affecting the climate. Ecologist: Studies the relationships between organisms and their environments, focusing on conservation and sustainability. Landscape Architect: Designs outdoor spaces to be sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, and functional. Other notable sustainability careers include: - Sustainability Officer - ESG Consultant - ESG Research Analyst - Climate Action Officer - Climate Risk Specialist These careers span various sectors such as non-governmental organizations, manufacturing, mining, energy, and agriculture.

Many enterprises are holistically looking at sustainability as their core business value. This needs professionals who understand sustainability in deeper context. Creation of sustainability department in medium to larger organisations is becoming a norm. Sustainability consulting is on the rise with consulting houses offering it as a core service. Technology adoption around sustainability is on the rise. Many tech based start-ups are building tools around this. Universities are offering courses around sustainability, which means there is going to be need for teachers and professors having know how on this subject. I

While there are a host of skills that are important to be able to make an impact as a sustainability professional- research, analytical, critical thinking, simplified articulation of concepts, solution centric approach, the one that stands out the most is “stakeholder management” skills. Your ability to engage with and influence your internal and external stakeholders will remain the most important skill. Unlike other roles, to truly succeed as a sustainability professional, the collaboration between you and your stakeholders will determine how many of your brilliant ideas get implemented. Hence, being able to gain the trust of your stakeholders & communicate with them in a way that improves their confidence in you shall go a long way.

Soft skills are as important as hard skills. To ensure change can happen, you will need emotional intelligence and empathy. Understand the limitations facing your co-workers and help them overcome any barriers. Work as a team. Additionally, you will need hard skills. Basic knowledge of environmental sciences (esp. climatology and ecology) is key to understand why we must protect our ecosystems and how we can do it. Additionally, some sociology knowledge can help you drive societal change.

There are many skills required but some are irreplaceable for a Sustainability Professional such as articulating an idea, being able to anticipate emerging trends and regulations, understanding the interconnectedness of environmental, social and economic issues and translating broad Sustainability goals to actionable strategies. Alongside, resilience and adaptability are also key to be a successful sustainability professional.

In addition to the hard skills required for the job, soft skills are crucial for a successful career in the sustainability domain. I would like to highlight three essential soft skills. Firstly, a helicopter view approach is necessary to constantly keep in mind systems and strategy thinking, which is vital for corporate sustainability roles. Secondly, clarity of purpose and a result-oriented approach will help you navigate the complexities of social and environmental transformation processes, which is crucial for corporate sustainable development. Lastly, mastering communication skills, such as persuasion and negotiation, will help you benefit from stakeholder engagement, safeguard your initiatives, and significantly boost your career.

In addition to the skills listed above, it is very important to have a good handle of change management methodologies and frameworks as well as effective influencing skills.

🎓 Certifications: Depending on the specific role, relevant professional certifications in areas like sustainability management, Impact Auditing, Circular Economy or specific renewable energy technologies can be beneficial. 🧑🎓 Internships, volunteer work or a train-the-trainee through a certification course: Gaining practical experience or participation in sustainability projects can be invaluable. This allows you to develop relevant skills, build your network, and demonstrate your commitment to the field.

One needs to at least understand sustainability in tandem with their core topics of finance/HR/ production/ operations etc. Having worked in Finance for several years, one should not venture into something different like environmental science, their contribution will be most beneficial in the finance side of sustainability, i.e. sustainable/ climate finance. There are particular courses in each aspect of sustainability. One needs to gain certifications that are internationally recognized and have local acceptance as well. The industry is fast evolving and has new developments nearly every day, hence one should follow the industry updated regularly and closely, especially the pioneering organizations in this domain.

I followed many discussions about this topic. Mostly the requirements list contains higher education or theoretical topics, for example ESRS, carbon calculation, circular economy, renewable energy, sustainable business models and other. In a few cases articles talking about leadership or project management. Those who ever had successfully implemented sustainable initiatives or outcomes, can tell you there are many more aspects to consider. Most of the CSR people are constantly under pressure, so they have to be very resilient. They have to sell things and measures, nobody really wants to hear. For example requesting more budget or resources from leadership, or changing working processes for employees. And last but not least, life experience

To identify where you can have the biggest impact, do your "impact ikigai"! The answer is then at the intersection of what you love doing, what the world needs, what is your expertise and what you can get paid for.

One also need to make a serious "impact due diligence" by studying seriously the sustainability report of the target company, its commitments and actions, and its reputation.

Working in corporate sustainability requires a strong ethical grounding. In an environment where sustainability is relatively new with resistance by many leaders, working in sustainability office roles requires being able to stand for what's correct for stakeholders even if they are not shareholders. In the recent past (of me writing this response) many financial institutions have chosen to withdraw or hold back financial commitments. Some of their investees may slack off on their netzero goals and transition plans. However, keeping true to the goalpost targets set and ensuring the organization continues to take steps is critical. For this, sustainability leaders especially in the corporate leaders may have to make tough choices.

Sustainability careers are flourishing—aim for genuine impact, steering clear of greenwashing. Mastery of ESG principles, data analysis, and regulatory acumen, including the handling of grievance mechanisms, is crucial. These legal channels enable the transparent resolution of issues, upholding corporate responsibility. In roles from renewable energy to ESG compliance, embrace learning and ensure your contributions authentically benefit society and ecosystems. Your efforts should reflect a commitment to meaningful change and corporate integrity.

Start your own sustainability-focused business or nonprofit organization. This allows you to directly implement sustainable practices and make a positive impact in your community.