Sustainability, energy, and social impact: Find your place in the green economy

Are you passionate about creating positive change in the world? There is a growing demand for green skills across various industries, and Imperial Business School is here to help you prepare.

26 February 2025

4 minute read

Perhaps you’d like to be a Sustainability Consultant? Or have a unique idea for a startup focussed on climate solutions? Explore the initiatives we offer and take advantage of the excellent support from our team.

Whether you’re furthering your studies in this field, or embarking on a meaningful career change, we’ll help you build a strong foundation for success. Enhance your knowledge, credibility and passion for the fast-paced, purpose-driven world of sustainability, energy and social impact.

The green economy is projected to create 24 million new jobs globally by 2030.

Source: WEF/International Labour Organisation

Sector trends in 2024

The key trends in sustainability, energy, and social impact point to a rapidly growing, diversifying job market. As the job market matures, companies are now increasingly seeking to hire staff with business skill sets.

The sustainability workforce is evolving quickly, with many roles emerging in the last five years that did not previously exist – such as in sustainable finance and marketing. This shift opens up opportunities for students from non-STEM backgrounds to leverage their transferable skills and help businesses tackle green challenges.

Budgets and teams dedicated to sustainability are expanding across various sectors, according to a recent global survey of sustainability professionals. On average, 65% of respondents report that their organisations are making public commitments to sustainability. The retail sector stands out, with 81% of professionals confirming that their companies have made such public commitments. So, if you’re thinking of moving into a sustainability role from another discipline, Imperial is the right place to get those skills.

Become a leader in sustainability

We offer a wealth of initiatives and programs to help you find your way in the sustainability jobs market. Your first step to success should be completing our Careers Primer module, which unlocks access to specialised career resources and allows you to book one-on-one appointments with our Careers Consultants.

We also encourage you to connect with Imperial alumni working in these sectors on LinkedIn to learn about their experiences. Face-to-face interactions are also invaluable, so get involved in industry events to network, build knowledge and create connections.

An amazing resource for you to navigate this fast moving, complex space is learning from other people who have been there before.
Laura Skedgell, Career Consultant in the Careers team at Imperial Business School about networking and connecting with Imperial Alumni

A key part of finding your feet in sustainability, energy, and social impact is showcasing your passion and credibility by immersing yourself in sustainability-focused activities such as joining clubs like the Energy & Sustainability Careers Club or putting academic knowledge into practice via initiatives like the Climate Investment Challenge.

Career support from Imperial

We provide students with a range of sector-specific resources, experiential learning and personalised support. These are great for helping students explore and prepare for careers in these sectors:

Careers Primer module – An introductory module that helps students reflect on their goals and learn about our career resources.
One-on-one career consultations – Personalised guidance where students can discuss their career plans with experienced career consultants.
Industry-specific events and workshops – Sessions focused on these specific sectors, providing overviews of trends, success stories and advice.
Student-led career clubs – Opportunities for students to network and collaborate with like-minded peers.
Access to top-tier career resources – Including online materials, job boards and platforms for things like interview preparation.
Investment and impact challenges – Opportunities to apply your skills in sustainability-related investment and consulting projects.

Insight and practical skills

Staying connected with our academic centres and attending events is a fantastic way to stay up to date on industry trends and discover potential job opportunities. We encourage you to make use of sector-specific job boards, connect with our careers consultants on LinkedIn and explore the resources available on our careers hub.

Remember to take time to reflect on your impact goals and skills, considering the specific change or impact you want to make in these areas. Identify any knowledge or skills gaps and we’ll help you take steps to develop them. It's also helpful to choose electives that personalise your learning experience and align with your career goals.

Stay informed by subscribing to industry podcasts and media to hear the latest discussions and trends. We recommend the Imperial Business School’s Green Minds podcast.

What do Imperial graduates go on to do?

Our students come from a range of backgrounds and levels of experience so it’s always exciting to see where their career takes them. Our alumni have successfully secured positions such as:

ESG Analyst at Orbis Advisory
Climate Change Consultant at the UN Environment Programme
Senior Associate in Sustainability and Transition Strategy at Jefferies.
Investment Banking Analyst at Augusta & Co
Sustainability Analyst at Earth Capital
Zero Waste Lead at Apple
Data Analyst, Supply Chain Sustainability at Burberry
Climate & Sustainability Marketing Manager, BCG
Investment Associate at Octopus Energy Generation
Solutions Engineer at Sweep

Some students have even gone on to set up their own startups and secure seed funding, which goes to show the breadth of opportunities once you’ve completed your time here at Imperial

Join us at Imperial Business School

The Careers team are planning a whole host of events for students starting this autumn. We encourage you to explore those around sustainability, energy and social impact to understand where your career might take you and connect with likeminded students. You’ll also have lots of opportunities to network with our alumni who will share their experience and advice for succeeding in this competitive industry.

Business School – a community of over 30,000 alumni

Imperial London – over 250,000 alumni globally

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