An analysis of various UK job postings shows that the average monthly vacancies for sustainability directors have jumped from 10 per month at the start of 2020 to over 200 per month in 2022.

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Natalie Douglass, Director at NSCG, says, "There have been numerous studies and anecdotal observations about the impacts of the pandemic on changing public attitudes towards sustainability and the wider ESG agenda. The sustainability job vacancy data really puts this into perspective."

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NSCG is an advisory firm that helps organizations find, assess, build, and accelerate teams and leaders who are just as good in practice as they are on paper. 

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According to New Street Consulting Group, March saw a high of 212 roles advertised, while there were between 202-204 roles on the market in February and April, respectively. This is double the levels seen in the same months the year before. 

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NSCG's review proves that businesses in the UK are prioritizing environment-focused directors to develop sustainability strategies.

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Additional research that was conducted by NSCG stated that over 82% of senior executives are worried that the next generation of business leaders won't have the green credentials to build sustainable companies. 

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However, despite more job openings in sustainability, individuals graduating with sustainability development, climate science, and environmental policy degrees are still struggling to find suitable job opportunities due to a lack of experience or salaries being low. 

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Lupe Cornejo, a sustainability management graduate student, says, "After over half a dozen applications, I started questioning my approach and the hiring process," she said. "I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong — I had the right degree, referrals in place, yet couldn't get an interview call."

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According to GreenBiz's 2020 state of the profession, while two-thirds of new hires in the sustainability field are from outside the organization, most professionals in sustainability say they were able to secure their positions because of someone they knew at the company.