Different Types of Jobs in ESG

 

One of the hottest trending sustainability buzzwords, ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. The phrase emerged from an environmental initiative at the United Nations and now refers to a set of standards used to measure how companies manage risks and opportunities related to these criteria.

The three pillars in ESG represent the areas that companies are expected to report in:

• Environmental concerns for businesses include climate change and pollution, along with the need to recycle and decarbonise.
• The social element covers relationships with suppliers, employees and customers, as well as positions on social topics. Factors for consideration include employee development and health and safety.
• Governance considers the standards set by senior executives and includes board diversity and the link between directors’ pay and sustainability performance for example.

The purpose of ESG is to encourage responsible and ethical behaviour by making businesses consider how their actions and choices can contribute to environmental destruction, corruption and inequality. These considerations are increasingly important to consumers and investors, who often show preference for organisations that adhere to ESG standards.

What is an ESG job?

People who work in ESG jobs are helping a huge variety of organisations across many different industries transform their business models to make them more sustainable. It’s a hugely rewarding career with a big impact, and many people are drawn to the idea of making the world a more liveable place for everyone and striving for a better tomorrow.

If you’re considering working in ESG, then there are a number of different career paths available to you. Here, we look at some different types of jobs in ESG that you could consider:

ESG Analyst

This position is prevalent in banking and finance, particularly amongst the big four accounting firms. An ESG Analyst considers the potential impact of projects and investment opportunities from an environmental and reputational perspective, helping to protect the planet and avoid public relations fallout. ESG analysts usually have an undergraduate or master’s degree focused around sustainability and environmental management, and the role requires excellent project management and research skills, as well as an analytical mind.

ESG Consultant

ESG Consultants provide an external perspective on ESG related issues. After carrying out risk and impact assessments, they devise action plans to help the businesses they work with to improve their ESG efforts, leading to better structures and processes. ESG consulting jobs require specific industry knowledge gained from working in that field, and people with a background in finance, law and economics often follow this career path.

ESG Engineer

ESG assessments can reveal areas of concern, like excessive energy use for example. ESG Engineers usually possess extensive knowledge of risk management and compliance issues, and use analytics tools like Power BI to design solutions to these problems.

ESG Researcher

Finding the right information is key to addressing ESG related issues. ESG Researchers gather and interpret data, looking for new insights that can lead to improvements. ESG Researchers often have a mathematical background and are well versed in interpreting large amounts of information and summarising their findings succinctly.

There are also many more different types of jobs in ESG in addition to the roles mentioned above. It’s an exciting field to work in and offers interesting and lucrative work that has a real and lasting impact.