Overview
What is a Sustainability Consultant?
Sustainability Consultants are professionals with expertise in sustainability and environmental responsibility. These professionals are employed to evaluate the operations of different organisations and provide expert advice on how they can become more sustainable and mitigate their environmental impact.
In the context of the built environment, the work of Sustainability Consultants stretches across the entire building lifecycle, from design and planning all the way to retrofitting and redevelopment. This role is also referred to by other titles, such as Environmental Consultant, Eco Consultant, Sustainability Specialist and Sustainability Advisor. Similar responsibilities may also be applied to Project Manager positions.
Why are Sustainability Consultants in high demand?
Sustainability expertise is hard to come by in today’s job market. The requirements placed on built environment firms to adopt sustainable practices and address their environmental impact emerged so quickly that the pipeline of available talent hasn’t been able to keep up with demand.
A survey by UCEM of 300 professionals, Managers and C-Suite executives in the built environment found that 88% believe their industries are suffering from a shortage of talent and skills, and three-quarters (75%) see this increasing over the next two years. This shortage of talent is a key factor for why an astonishing 98% of sustainability initiatives fail to meet their objectives, according to research by Bain & Company.
How much do Sustainability Consultants earn?
The average salary of a Sustainability Consultant is usually between £18,000 – £65,000 a year.
Skills
What’s required for the role?
- Project management skills
- Stakeholder management
- Interpersonal skills
- Negotiation
- Sustainability literacy*
- Organisational skills
- Critical and analytical thinking
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- The ability to influence others
- Storytelling
- Data analysis
- Written communication
- Public speaking
Details
What does a Sustainability Consultant do?
There are a broad range of responsibilities Sustainability Consultants may be tasked with in their work, including:
What is the work environment like?
A career in sustainability consulting can take you to a variety of locations and projects. You should expect to spend time on site, certainly in the early stages of your career, although as you gain more experience, you’ll likely spend more time in the office and away visiting clients.
Environmental knowledge is in demand everywhere, and as such, there’s the potential for work overseas in different regions and countries. This may be a frequent part of the role, particularly for larger consulting firms.
Opportunities
Is sustainability consulting a good career?
The shortage of talent with adequate environmental knowledge is well documented, so professionals with an interest in this area will find plenty of opportunities available to them. In the built environment, construction, real estate, planning and architecture firms have all indicated they’re in need of these expertise, so there are a wide range of possibilities for employment in the sector.
Given the importance the built environment places on green skills, a career in sustainability consultancy can also provide both long-term job security and opportunities progression. UCEM found in its survey that 88% of its respondents believed that employees with sustainability qualifications can fast-track their career, with 51% themselves having undergone training to increase their employability.
Sustainability consultancy is naturally a people-oriented career – you’ll likely be working in teams and engaging with clients. As a relatively new field in business that is continuously evolving, it’s likely that you’ll encounter challenges in balancing client expectations with legal restrictions and the needs of the environment. This can lead to difficult conversations, so you’ll need to be comfortable negotiating and confident in your knowledge.
In the long term, there’s also the option for professionals to further specialise within the field in areas like renewable energy, waste management and energy transition. Above all, a passion for sustainability is a must for people considering a career in this area.
Become a sustainability consultant
Who can become a Sustainability Consultant?
There are no restrictions for who can work in sustainability consulting – all you need is a passion for the environment and the drive to succeed. At UCEM, thousands of students from across the world have undertaken their studies and successfully entered industries like urban planning in the built environment. Find out about their experiences below:
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- Why it’s never too late for a career change: a Q&A with UCEM Programme Leaders Jon Hubert and Nicola Allen
- From IT consultant to a real estate and sustainability thought leader – a student success story with Esha Bhasin MRICS
- Everyone can contribute to global change: a Q&A with UCEM Student Officer for Sustainability Kian Bruney
How to become a sustainability consultant
There are several different ways to enter sustainability consultancy. While not mandatory, obtaining qualifications recognised by professional bodies like the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) can put you ahead of the competition when applying for consultant roles. An IEMA membership may also be required by some organisations.
Completing an apprenticeship is another option that can give you valuable experience in a sustainability role, alongside relevant qualifications. As the field becomes more competitive and more applicants are drawn to this practice, obtaining work experience can put applicants in a strong position.
Along with obtaining degrees, online CPD courses in relevant subjects can strengthen your employment credentials, such as:
