FUTUREPROOFING BUSINESS

The State of the Sustainability Profession is Strong, Really

By Stephanie Tonnesen Hornback

May 8, 2025

Over the last 20 years, we have seen the rise of the sustainability profession in the c-suite, in the ranks of middle management end entry level technical positions, across a variety of industries. It’s work that for many feels like a calling. It fulfills a deeper sense of personal purpose.

And, some of the biggest names in green business want you to know that these jobs are here to stay, regardless of what you might be hearing or reading these days, or the current mood in your office.

At GreenBiz 25, Joel Makower implored sustainability leaders to hold back the darkness, “And not just hold it back, but to shine a light on all that’s possible… to bring our most innovative and creative selves to this moment… Purpose, passion and problem-solving… that’s what got us here. We’ll need to hold those close during these challenging times.”

A recent EY America’s report reiterates this belief. That while “some federal policies may change, several corporate sustainability drivers and opportunities should remain.”

The report goes on to highlight that significant corporate sustainability regulations are originating from U.S. states and other countries. In addition, so many large corporations have spent considerable time, money and energy on placing sustainability at the core of their business strategies. They recognize that long-term climate change and other sustainability concerns must be part of their risk mitigation, operational and investment planning strategies.

Then there is Jonathan Foley of Project Drawdown. He is optimistic too. In an article earlier this year titled, “What can memes tell us about the state of corporate sustainability?” Foley reminds all of us that, “with sustainability teams acting as formal agents of climate action within companies and other employees acting as grassroots advocates and role-level implementers, corporate sustainability can reach the scale, scope, and speed that it needs to – all while having a good laugh.”

Recently, The Center for Sustainable Business at the University of Pittsburgh gathered sustainability professionals for its latest ReSET (Resilience Strategies Executive Tailored) program. The purpose – to present to regional corporate executives the latest insights and research on what being a sustainable business really means.

In the current environment, CSB believed ReSET was more important than ever.

According to The Center for Sustainable Business executive director Chris Gassman, several key themes emerged, including:

• Internal misalignment—not external forces—is often the biggest barrier to progress, and that ReSET helped surface shared priorities across departments.
• There is a strong appetite for embedding sustainability deeper into business models—not as a bolt-on, but as a driver of innovation, value creation, and competitive positioning.
• A renewed sense of agency and urgency, with multiple groups identifying near-term actions to take back to their teams.

Gassman added that for CSB its all about “helping leaders build strategic clarity on how focusing on resilience enables you to create a competitive path to top-line revenue and bottom-line profit in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) business environment.”

Now let’s turn to the green jobs outlook.  Recent reports underscore all this optimism, too.

A LinkedIn 2024 Green Skills Report reveals global demand for green talent is growing faster than supply – demand increased by nearly 12 percent while supply grew by roughly six percent.  

Moreover, the World Economic Forum in its “Future of Jobs Report 2025” estimates that some 50 percent of jobs will be transformed to include some level of green skills due to the increasing focus on climate mitigation and adaptation. 

This is an opportunity for employers and employees to offer upskill training and professional development.  And not just for the jobs specifically in sustainability and ESG, but for employees working across the company in administration, accounting, legal, research and development, facilities, information technology, etc.  

At the end of the day, sustainability is here to stay.  Why?  It is about business resiliency.  Those working in the space – while the language around what you are doing may be changing and the perceived emphasis may be seen as shifting, hang tight.  It is a dip before a resurgence.  

After all, the future of our companies, our employees, our communities and the whole planet are at stake. 

Reimagine Jobs Set to Host SolarPunk Future 2025

Reimagine Jobs is a coalition of environmental and community organizations in South Western Pennsylvania that aims to build connections between workforce development programs and green employers to help develop the future of good paying jobs in the environmental and sustainability sectors.

On May 29 from 1-6 p.m., Reimagine Jobs will host its Solarpunk Future 2025 – part interactive art show, part job fair at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Register here.