Environmental, social and governance careers
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ESG stands for Environmental, social and governance. This is often referred to as sustainability. In a business context, sustainability is about the company's business model, for example how its products and services contribute to sustainable development. Today ESG careers are varied and multiplying.
The three pillars of ESG are:
- Environmental – this has to do with an organisation's impact on the planet.
- Social – this has to do with the impact an organisation has on people, including staff and customers and the community.
- Governance – this has to do with how an organisation is governed. Is it governed transparently?
What is the difference between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ESG?
CSR emphasises corporate volunteering, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting charitable causes. ESG, on the other hand, offers a more measurable approach to sustainability. It evaluates environmental, social, and governance aspects, and can enhance a company's valuation.
Read this blog on the difference between CSR and ESG
Read the blog: What is ESG and why does it matter?
What is the difference between ESG and sustainability?
Sustainability and ESG are closely related concepts. Sustainability is the broad, long-term vision of balancing environmental, social, and economic factors. ESG is a more specific framework for evaluating how companies are performing in those areas and making decisions based on these factors.
So, ESG is one of the tools or metrics that help measure a company's efforts toward sustainability, but sustainability encompasses a much wider approach to long-term global well-being.
What could I be doing in a ESG role?
ESG roles have become increasingly important in various industries as organisations focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility. ESG roles are diverse and can span various industries and functions, but they all aim to ensure that organisations operate responsibly, sustainably, and ethically.
Here are some common ESG-related roles:
1. ESG manager / director
- Responsibilities: Oversee the development, implementation, and reporting of ESG strategies. They work on ensuring that the company meets ESG standards and regulations and align corporate actions with sustainability goals.
- Key skills: Project management, sustainability knowledge, reporting, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning.
2. Sustainability officer / director
- Responsibilities: Focus on the environmental aspect of ESG. This includes managing sustainability initiatives, reducing environmental footprints, and ensuring that the company operates in a sustainable manner.
- Key skills: Environmental science, sustainable practices, regulatory knowledge, reporting, data analysis.
3. ESG analyst
- Responsibilities: Analyse data related to ESG performance, assess risks, and track trends. They support decision-making by providing detailed reports on ESG metrics and helping the company understand its ESG impact.
- Key skills: Data analysis, research, financial modelling, understanding of ESG metrics.
4. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) manager
- Responsibilities: Focus on the "Social" part of ESG, overseeing corporate giving, community outreach, employee engagement in social initiatives, and stakeholder relations. They work to align company activities with the values of their workforce and communities.
- Key skills: Community outreach, communication, stakeholder engagement, project management.
5. ESG reporting specialist
- Responsibilities: Prepare and present ESG reports, ensuring compliance with global ESG frameworks and standards such as GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board), and TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures).
- Key skills: Reporting, knowledge of ESG standards and frameworks, data collection, communication.
6. Governance risk and compliance (GRC) manager
- Responsibilities: Focuses on the "governance" aspect of ESG. They ensure that the company’s governance processes align with best practices, regulatory requirements, and ethical standards. This can include risk management, internal auditing, and policy creation.
- Key skills: Risk management, compliance, corporate governance, legal knowledge.
7. ESG consultant
- Responsibilities: Work with companies or investors to help them improve their ESG practices, identify risks, and meet regulatory requirements. They may provide strategy development, compliance assistance, and stakeholder reporting.
- Key skills: Analytical thinking, strategic development, industry knowledge, advisory skills.
8. ESG investment analyst
- Responsibilities: Focus on evaluating investment opportunities based on their ESG performance. This can involve research on the ESG risks and opportunities of companies or sectors.
- Key skills: Financial analysis, ESG metrics, market research, risk assessment.
9. Chief sustainability officer (CSO)
- Responsibilities: A senior executive responsible for overseeing sustainability and ESG strategies within the company. They lead the organisation in integrating sustainability goals across business functions and operations.
- Key skills: Leadership, strategic planning, sustainability knowledge, stakeholder engagement.
10. Climate change specialist
- Responsibilities: Focus on the environmental impact of climate change and help the company mitigate and adapt to climate-related risks. This includes working on carbon footprint reduction, setting goals for net-zero emissions, and preparing climate-related disclosures.
- Key skills: Environmental science, climate policy, risk analysis, sustainability practices.
11. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) manager
- Responsibilities: Focus on the "social" aspect of ESG, specifically promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the workplace. This includes implementing DEI programs and policies, tracking progress, and ensuring an inclusive work environment.
- Key skills: DEI knowledge, program management, communication, training.
12. Supply chain sustainability manager
- Responsibilities: Focus on making the supply chain more sustainable by managing supplier relationships, ensuring suppliers adhere to ESG standards, and optimising the environmental and social impact of the supply chain.
- Key skills: Supply chain management, sustainability, vendor relations, reporting.
Read the blog from Lawcareers.net - Life as an ESG lawyer: a law student's guide
What are the future developments and hot topics within this area?
1. Climate change and net-zero
- Focus on reducing carbon emissions and achieving net-zero by 2030/2050. Expect stricter regulations and investments in renewable energy and carbon capture technologies.
2. Greenwashing and enhanced disclosure
- Growing demand for transparency and standardized ESG reporting to combat greenwashing. Regulatory bodies are pushing for consistent and credible ESG disclosures.
3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Increasing focus on workplace diversity, pay equity, and inclusion. Companies will face more scrutiny regarding DEI actions and measurable outcomes.
4. Sustainable finance and green bonds
- Sustainable investing is on the rise with products like green bonds and impact investing. Investors demand more transparent ESG performance metrics.
5. Biodiversity and nature-based solutions
- Companies will focus on biodiversity conservation and nature-positive strategies, investing in ecosystem restoration and protecting natural resources.
6. ESG in the supply chain
- More emphasis on ethical sourcing, labour conditions, and supply chain transparency, with increasing regulations for companies to ensure sustainability.
7. ESG data and technology
- Use of AI, blockchain, and data analytics to improve ESG reporting, ensuring more accurate and real-time tracking of ESG metrics.
8. Circular economy
- Focus on reducing waste through recycling, product reuse, and designing products for a circular economy to minimize resource consumption.
9. Governance and accountability
- Increased attention on board diversity, executive pay, and corporate transparency, with investors pushing for stronger governance practices.
10. ESG and financial performance
- Growing evidence that strong ESG performance leads to better financial returns, driving further investment in sustainable business practices.
Watch this video on the top ESG trends of 2025
What are the entry routes into roles in this industry?
There are several entry routes for pursuing a career in ESG.
- Sustainability or ESG-focused degrees: Universities offer courses like environmental science, sustainability management, business with sustainability, environmental economics and geography that are great foundations for ESG roles.
- Postgraduate programs: Master's degrees such as sustainability and environmental management, climate change and policy, or corporate social responsibility (CSR) can help individuals develop specialised knowledge in ESG.
- Professional qualifications: Various professional bodies offer certifications related to ESG, such as the institute of environmental management and assessment (IEMA) or the sustainable investment professional certificate (SIPC).
- Gaining relevant job experience: Environmental and sustainability roles in environmental consulting, sustainability management, regulatory compliance, working in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) or community engagement roles gives practical experience that can provide foundational experience for transitioning into an ESG role. Employers are also looking for soft skills including communication, leadership and stakeholder engagement.
What are the opportunities to gain work experience in related areas?
- ESG-focused internships. Many organisations in the UK, particularly in finance, consulting, and large corporations, offer internships or graduate programs specifically targeting ESG roles. Also, virtual work experience programs such as Forage and LinkedIn learning offer online courses in sustainability, climate change, corporate governance, and ESG investing.
- Check out the ESG Launchpad from the Land Collective - an eight- week programme focusing on ESG and the built environment
- Graduate schemes: Many companies, including consulting firms (PwC, Deloitte), corporates (Unilever, Tesco), and financial institutions (HSBC, Barclays), run graduate schemes in sustainability, ESG, or corporate social responsibility.
- Social Impact Projects: Participating in projects that focus on social impact, volunteering, or sustainability initiatives can give hands-on experience and enhance your CV. For example, the Sustainability Challenge and the Nottingham Advantage Award
Where do I look for vacancies?
What's on offer at Nottingham?
- Find out more about our Sustainability Challenge. It gives you a chance to develop sustainability solutions for our campuses, build essential employability skills, and be in with a chance to win some amazing prizes including an internship.
- Check out the sustainability activities taking place at the university and get involved
- Join a Students' Union society such as: Sustainability, Conservation, Renewable Energy and Engineers without borders
- Explore the modules on the Nottingham Advantage Award, for example, Business Sustainability and Responsibility
- Check out our job and sector events for sessions focusing on the environmental sector.
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory Year Abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.