Resources for Sustainability Career Explorers: Career in Sustainability & ESG

Is it possible for work to be about more than just making a living, and to have a positive impact on the environment and society too?In recent years, sustainable development, ESG and the SDGs have drawn growing attention. More and more people want to build a career in sustainability (great!), and quite a few are switching tracks to do it. But becoming sustainability talent usually takes more than passion. It also takes solid skills. In this article I'll explore, from my own perspective, the different opportunities in sustainability careers and the skills they require, and share my hands-on experience. I hope it helps you find your direction faster in your future career, and become the change you wish to see!

Source: Unsplash

What paths can a sustainability career take? First, my own journey

I'm Maggy. From social innovation to corporate sustainability, I've built an impact career step by step across that spectrum. Over the past 5 years I've worked at a climate change and corporate sustainability consultancy and served as head of the sustainability office at a B Corp, helping companies set sustainability strategy roadmaps and delivering projects on organizational carbon neutrality, product carbon footprints, circular economy certification, sustainability reports, social impact assessments and more. I majored in business in college, and during that time co-founded a social enterprise that supported cause marketing for small workshops for people with disabilities. During my six-month exchange, I took part in 9 social innovation projects in Europe, including a sustainable fashion forum, a food waste reduction campaign, a circular economy cooperative, a social enterprise that helps women into employment, and work-for-stay on organic farms. I look forward to connecting with people from all walks of life who share a passion for sustainability. I believe in, and practice, "Be the change that you wish to see in this world." I'm currently in Canada exploring sustainability action in North America.

What are sustainability roles like at consultancies and inside companies? What was it like to make the switch?

Feel free to check out my interview with TWYCC (Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition). It's very detailed and thorough.

[🌱 Sustainability Careers | Head of a sustainability office at such a young age: how did she do it? 🔎]

(Part 1: click this link)

1. Q: Briefly introduce yourself.

2. Q: Why did you want to work in sustainability?

3. Q: How did you then find your direction?

4. Q: What did you do once you started exploring?

5. Q: How did you cross over from social enterprise to sustainability?

6. Q: Why did you later want to become a sustainability consultant at KPMG?

7. Q: What are the benefits of being a sustainability consultant at KPMG?

8. Q: Why did you want to move to a different role?

9. Q: How did you get into Meike's sustainability department?

10. Q: What are the benefits of working in Meike Industrial's sustainability office?

(Part 2: click this link)

1. Q: What sustainability initiatives does Meike Industrial have?

2. Q: What's the biggest challenge you face at work?

3. Q: Has the company's sustainability work ever conflicted with profitability? How did you handle it?

4. Q: What is a #BCorp?

5. Q: How did you become head of the company's sustainability office so young?

6. Q: So far, what has given you the greatest sense of achievement in sustainability?

7. Q: What expertise and personal traits do you think it takes to enter the sustainability field?

8. Q: What advice do you have for young people who want to enter the sustainability field?

How to plan a sustainability career

[Three tips for planning a sustainability career]

[BistroS's sustainability career resources]

What sustainability jobs and roles exist across industries and fields?

[Sustainability Career Database]

A detailed compilation started by the sustainability student association at National Taiwan University. The data is mainly from 2020, but the overall picture is still similar.

🌳 What's in the Sustainability Career Database? We've grouped it into categories such as #UniversityCourses #CommunityPagesAndWebsites #JobCategories #Documents, and each category lists related resources, links and keywords so you can quickly grasp the content.

🌳 Who is the Sustainability Career Database for?

#SustainabilityPassersBy | Share this database with anyone who might be interested in sustainable development, and bring more people into the field!

#SustainabilityNewbies | If you're interested in sustainability careers and sustainable development but still new to the field, come dig for treasure and pick a direction that interests you from the wide range of options to start exploring~

#SustainabilityVeterans | You've been in the sustainability world for a while and want to expand your knowledge base, or open up a broader path in sustainable development

[A look at sustainability jobs]Bistro S also put together sustainability opportunities across industries, using the Netherlands as an example

What does a corporate sustainability consultant do?

[A brief look at sustainability consulting] https://medium.com/@michaelwu2018/%E6%B7%BA%E8%AB%87%E6%B0%B8%E7%BA%8C%E8%AB%AE%E8%A9%A2%E9%A1%A7%E5%95%8F-999f96cf892f

[Sustainability consultant job postings] are also worth a look. For example, here's the job description for the sustainability consultant role I applied for at an accounting firm:

Responsibilities

1. Assist the department in carrying out corporate sustainability projects

2. Support business development and marketing

3. Learn new areas of expertise

4. Research international and industry sustainability trends

Traits, skills and requirements

1. Familiar with sustainable development/CSR issues and passionate about these areas

2. Strong at information analysis, able to write high-quality reports, fluent writer

3. Proactive, eager to keep up with trends and new knowledge

4. Handles pressure well, good at time management

5. Team player with good communication skills, able to work independently

6. Good English, able to communicate directly with overseas teams or relevant organizations abroad

7. Able to travel domestically and abroad or support overseas teams as needed

What kind of sustainability talent do companies need?

[Gearing up for the global net-zero race! The new corporate must-have: the Chief Sustainability Officer]A feature report from Business Weekly

Source: Global Views Monthly

What skills does a sustainability strategy manager need?

[What skills should ESG talent have? A skills inventory for ESG strategists and sustainability managers]

How to keep learning about corporate sustainability

• KPMG Climate Change and Corporate Sustainability newsletter: https://home.kpmg/tw/zh/home/services/advisory/climate-change-and-sustainability-service/newsletter.html (most major firms' consulting teams publish one too; search for more)

• CSRone, a sustainability think tank and communication and knowledge platform (newsletter available) https://csrone.com/

• CSR@CommonWealth (newsletter available)

• Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (newsletter available)

• Read corporate sustainability reports to understand the areas that ESG work covers. You can use the list of benchmark companies from the CommonWealth Sustainability Awards https://csr.cw.com.tw/esgaward/ to look up their reports.

• B Corp association (newsletter available)

International sustainability standards: official, free courses with certificates:

• TCFD (certificate) https://www.tcfdhub.org/online-courses/

• CSRD (certificate) https://csrdinstitute.eu/

Finally, and most importantly, go back to your original purpose: Start with WHY

• What's your view of work? (Recommended reads: Designing Your Life and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

• What factors go into your career choices, and in what order of priority?

• Take the initiative to ask, get involved and try things (internships / cross-department projects / or start your own project to build hands-on experience / publish articles, etc.)

• Review your career direction regularly and keep moving forward!

Thanks for reading. Let’s connect on LinkedIn! I look forward to hearing from you. If you know people in Canada/the US working in sustainability/renewable energy/energy management/carbon management, I'd love to be introduced too.

There are more and more resources on sustainability knowledge and careers. The above is what I've gathered so far; if I've missed any good resources, please don't hesitate to share them or give feedback.

If this article helped you, leave a comment to let me know, and feel free to share it with friends and family.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Let's keep going together!