Sustainability Consulting
Discover what sustainability consulting involves: how consultants help organisations become more sustainable, from strategy to reporting, what they do day to day, the career ladder, and how students prepare for an application.
Introduction
What is sustainability consulting?
Sustainability consulting is about how an organisation becomes more sustainable: less emissions, a circular way of operating, and meeting the growing flow of sustainability rules. Consultants help companies set a sustainability strategy and actually carry it out.
The work combines strategy, figures and regulation: a sustainability plan is only credible if it is measurable and fits the business strategy. The consultant therefore switches between ambition, data and what is practically feasible.
Sustainability is one of the fastest-growing parts of consulting, partly due to rules such as the CSRD. It appeals to students who want to combine societal impact with work at the top of organisations.
The practice
Three settings where you practise this field
The breakdown below mainly says something about the type of employer and the clients you serve, not about the quality of the work.
At strategy houses, sustainability often sits close to business strategy. Specialist firms go deep into climate and the circular economy. The Big Four are strong in sustainability reporting, partly due to rules such as the CSRD. In addition, many sustainability specialists work in-house at a company or non-profit.
What they do
What sustainability consultants do
The work differs by project, but the building blocks below come up in almost every sustainability project.
Types of project
The main types of project
Sustainability consulting has a number of recurring project types, even though the sector and ambition differ greatly.
Sub-areas
The main sub-areas
Sustainability is broad, and many consultants specialise over time in a theme or a sector.
Step by step
How a sustainability process unfolds
Most sustainability projects follow a similar path, from a baseline to measuring and reporting progress. That cycle repeats, because goals get sharpened and rules change.
Who does which step depends on seniority. Junior consultants do much of the measuring and analysis, while senior consultants set the ambition and bring the client along toward the board.
The value of a sustainability process often sits in the last steps: an ambition that is not measured and reported stays non-committal.
Roles
Roles in the sustainability practice
Each step up the ladder shifts the emphasis further from analysis toward leading teams and managing the client relationship. Most consultants climb this ladder at the same firm, though moving to a sustainability role in the business is common at any level.
Analyst / Consultant
The entry role straight after a bachelor's or master's.
Senior Consultant
Independently handles part of a project.
Manager
Leads a team and the day-to-day running of a project.
Senior Manager / Principal
Carries responsibility for several projects and client relationships.
Partner / Director
Holds ultimate responsibility for clients and the practice.
Career timeline
How long each step takes
Sustainability consulting has a relatively fast career path, partly due to the strong growth of the field. The pace differs by firm and individual.
Many consultants stay a few years and then move to a sustainability role in the business or at a non-profit. Those who stay progress toward Manager and eventually partner or director.
Because the field is young and growing fast, consultants who join early can progress relatively quickly.
| Level | Typical time in role |
|---|---|
| Business Analyst | 2 to 3 years |
| Consultant / Associate | 2 to 4 years |
| Engagement Manager | 2 to 4 years |
| Partner | top level, 10+ years in total |
Compensation
Compensation in sustainability consulting
Compensation usually consists of a fixed salary that rises with seniority, and at many firms a bonus tied to individual and firm performance. Pay depends strongly on the type of employer: at a strategy house it is typically higher than at a small specialist firm.
The ranges below are general indications for larger advisory and consulting firms, and do not apply specifically to any particular firm. Actual pay varies by firm, background and year, and is listed where known in the individual vacancies on this site.
From partner or director level, the nature of compensation changes, tied more closely to your own client portfolio and the results of the firm as a whole.
| Level | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Business Analyst | €50.000 – €70.000 |
| Consultant / Associate | €70.000 – €110.000 |
| Engagement Manager | €120.000 – €180.000 |
| Partner | €250.000 – €600.000+ |
Ranges are general indications for larger advisory and consulting firms, not specific to any particular firm. See the vacancy pages for concrete salary figures where a firm publishes them.
A day in the life
A typical day for a junior consultant
The day often starts with analysing the client's emissions or sustainability data. After that, much of the time goes into working out a roadmap or preparing a report according to the applicable rules.
A sustainability consultant switches between ambition and feasibility: a plan has to be both credible and practical. That requires numerical work and the ability to bring the organisation along.
On a day with a client discussion, the pace shifts: the team shows the progress, discusses the choices with the client and advises on the next steps.
Juniors
What junior consultants do
Junior consultants carry much of the measuring and analysis work a sustainability project rests on, under the supervision of a Manager.
- Analysing emissions and data
- Helping build roadmaps
- Researching regulation
- Preparing reports
- Building benchmarks
- Tracking progress
- Joining client discussions
- Aligning with the team
Much of this work goes back and forth within the team and with the client before a plan or report is ready. That repetition is not inefficiency, it is how a junior consultant learns what makes a sustainability plan credible and feasible.
Skills
Skills you will need
Analytical ability and knowledge of sustainability get the most attention, but the consultants who stay longest often stand out for the ability to connect ambition and feasibility.
Getting in
How you get into sustainability consulting
The routes are broad: students come from business, economics, technical and sustainability programmes. An affinity with sustainability and analytical ability are important pluses.
Preparation
How to prepare as a student
Preparation works best when it starts well before the application. Firms test your analysis and whether you can make sustainability concrete and credible.
Compare
Sustainability versus other paths
These paths sometimes overlap, which is why students mix them up. The distinction mainly lies in the focus on sustainability.
Sustainability vs Strategy Consulting
Strategy decides an organisation's broader choices. Sustainability focuses specifically on becoming more sustainable and the goals around it.
Sustainability vs Risk & Regulatory
Risk & regulatory manages risk and rules broadly. Sustainability focuses on sustainability and reporting such as the CSRD.
Sustainability vs Operations Consulting
Operations improves execution in general. Sustainability does so with sustainability as the goal, for example in the supply chain.
Sustainability consulting vs ESG in law
The legal side of ESG and sustainability rules belongs to the legal path. Sustainability consulting focuses on strategy, execution and reporting.
Sustainability consulting vs an in-house sustainability role
An in-house role works for a single organisation. As a consultant you work for many clients and see many different approaches in a short time.
Employers
Sustainability firms in the Netherlands
We only name firms here whose specific sustainability practice has been verified. At this time, we have not yet been able to confirm a separate firm for this field; the strategy houses and the Big Four on this site do have a growing sustainability practice.
We are working on verifying firms with a specific sustainability practice in the Netherlands. In the meantime, browse all consulting firms or all open vacancies.
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Sustainability vacancies
We only show real, current openings with a link to the employer. Internships, traineeships and consultant roles appear here. In the meantime, browse all current vacancies.
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Recommended resources
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is sustainability consulting?
It is the advisory field around making organisations more sustainable: consultants help set a sustainability strategy, reduce emissions, work circularly and meet rules such as the CSRD.
What degree do I need?
The routes are broad. Students come from business, economics, technical and sustainability programmes. Affinity with sustainability and analytical ability are important.
What does a sustainability consultant do day to day?
Consultants set strategy, measure emissions, build roadmaps, guide CSRD reporting and help organisations meet their sustainability goals.
What is the CSRD?
The CSRD is the European directive that requires large companies to report on their sustainability, which has strongly increased demand for sustainability consulting.
Is sustainability consulting a growing field?
Yes. Partly due to rules such as the CSRD and the attention to climate, sustainability is one of the fastest-growing parts of consulting.
How much do you earn in sustainability consulting?
Pay depends strongly on the type of employer and is typically higher at a strategy house than at a small specialist firm. Actual pay is listed where known in the vacancies on this site.
What skills do you need?
Analytical thinking, knowledge of sustainability, numeracy, communication and the ability to connect ambition and feasibility.
How do I get into this field as a student?
Get to know sustainability and the CSRD, do a relevant internship, and apply via campus or the firm's website.
Related
Related consulting paths
Start your journey in sustainability consulting
Browse open vacancies or discover the other consulting paths.