The Green Career Digest #2: Top Skills for ESG Professionals in 2024
Lubomila Jordanova
CEO & Founder Plan A & Co-Founder Greentech Alliance │ Obama Leader │ MIT Under 35 Innovator │ LinkedIn Top Voice
Welcome back to The Green Career Digest!
Thank you for joining for the second edition. It has been inspiring to see the positive feedback and success stories from those who even found jobs through the newsletter since last month . As the world of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and sustainability continues to evolve rapidly, staying informed is more critical than ever for career growth and development in this field.
This newsletter is designed to help one stay ahead of emerging trends, skills, and job opportunities, while providing actionable insights into the career paths opening up across sectors. As sustainability professionals, we navigate a world in which companies, governments, and communities are more focused than ever on long-term environmental and social impacts.
Please keep on sharing your feedback - it is incredibly valuable!
Topic of the Month: Top Skills for ESG Professionals in 2024
In this edition, the spotlight is as promised in the first edition on the key skills that ESG professionals will need to examine and qualitatively and qualitatively enhance skills on in 2024.
Data Analytics & ESG Reporting: With the rise of ESG reporting requirements across sectors, data management and analytics skills are becoming indispensable. Companies need professionals who can effectively measure and report on sustainability metrics, ensuring compliance and driving corporate ESG performance. This trend is creating opportunities for ESG analysts, reporting specialists, and data scientists.
Supply Chain Management & Sustainability: Circular economy principles are reshaping supply chains, demanding new expertise in sustainable logistics, waste reduction, and resource efficiency. Professionals with skills in sustainable sourcing, circular design, and closed-loop systems will be in high demand.
Regulatory Knowledge: Navigating the maze of evolving ESG regulations is a must. Understanding global ESG frameworks, such as the EU Taxonomy, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and the SEC's proposed climate disclosure rules, will give you a competitive edge.
Emerging Job Opportunities
Here are some of the top areas generating new ESG jobs:
Sustainability Analytics: Leveraging data to drive ESG decisions is creating opportunities for roles like sustainability data analysts, ESG performance managers, and AI-driven sustainability strategists.
Circular Economy Specialists: As more companies transition to sustainable and resource-efficient models, positions in circular economy management, recycling logistics, and waste-to-resource initiatives are opening up.
Renewable Energy Experts: With the continued expansion of renewable energy, particularly in offshore wind and solar, there is strong demand for engineers, project managers, and environmental consultants who specialise in clean energy solutions.
Career Tip: Future-Proof Your Skillset
The ESG job market is becoming increasingly competitive, and it’s vital to stay ahead of the curve. One way to future-proof your career is by continuously learning and upskilling. Whether through online courses, certifications, or hands-on experience, make it a priority to develop expertise in the skills that are defining the future of ESG work.
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Extra points
In addition to the well-known skills like data analytics and regulatory knowledge, some more particular or obscure skills are becoming essential for success in ESG careers. For example, life cycle assessment (LCA) expertise is crucial for professionals evaluating the environmental impact of products from creation to disposal. Another niche area is biodiversity management, where professionals work to assess and mitigate the impact of corporate activities on ecosystems and species.
Behavioural science is also increasingly valuable, as organisations aim to drive sustainability not just through policies, but by influencing consumer and employee behaviour. Lastly, carbon accounting skills, particularly in emerging areas like Scope 3 emissions tracking, are in high demand as companies strive to meet net-zero targets and fully understand their carbon footprints across the entire value chain. These specialised skills can set ESG professionals apart and drive meaningful change.
Job Openings for September 2024 based on seniority level
Fashion
Banking / VC
Tech / IT
Industry
Internships
Expanding Businesses into New Markets | Strategic Growth & Innovation | Sharing Insights and Experiences from Dubai ????
1 个月Fantastic initiative promoting green jobs. Skills match is key for career transitions. Congrats on the success stories - keep empowering sustainable workforce development. Lubomila Jordanova
Senior Consultant at Stoneridge Software
1 个月Let us learn some lessons from the Lean Thinking evolution: >>Data is important, but not the periodic reporting cycle of finance. What is happening in the supply chain right now, and the impact of that on all costs including carbon liability is the laser focus. There are big lifts required in data flows, but save us from anything "Monthly" ! >>Supply chain teams and leadership are more than capable of making the improvements needed if they are given a seat at the product and process design table instead of treated as an afterthought. SCM professionals adapt every day and every decade to improvement opportunities and different measurement perspectives. We will improve what we measure. SCM professionals also excel in another critical skill for urgent improvement... navigating knowledge, suspicion and guesswork to keep perfection from killing improvement. >>Regulation ? That ship has sailed. Regulation is thirty years behind the curve for normal human reasons. We either make the improvements part of our general professional culture, or call the game for rain. Teams already mastering the SEC and IFRS can bend their focus to save their jobs. #carbon #ASCM #manufacturing #SCM #leadingculture
Product Development | Innovation | Venture Development | Authentic Leadership
1 个月Bianka Fehér
Curator at Acad.interfaith Kenya-Swiss-Turk Curatorium UN Civil Society Africa
1 个月we hire gender equal and P.w.D as Climate Active Crus-AID'ers and UNGA NY awarded Pioneers
QA Assistant Manager
1 个月Ok