A sustainability consultant is someone who advises businesses on methods to deliver their products or services in a sustainable manner (usually in an ecological sense). This field forms part of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and includes focal areas like "green building, renewable energy, waste management and sustainable development."
Organisational culture and behaviour change Research on the role of sustainability consultants in the UK found that there is a tendency to focus on technical aspects of building energy efficiency, facilities management and renewable technologies, but that consultants were aware of the need to support businesses on the ‘softer’ aspects of sustainability such as organisational culture and values.Hampton, S., 2018. ‘It’s the soft stuff that’s hard’: Investigating the role played by low carbon small- and medium-sized enterprise advisors in sustainability transitions. Local Economy 33, 384–404. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269094218778526
Behavioural change initiatives can be effective in reducing emissions, and have multiple benefits including boosting staff morale,Rotmann, S., 2017. “Once upon a time…” Eliciting energy and behaviour change stories using a fairy tale story spine. Energy Research & Social Science, Narratives and Storytelling in Energy and Climate Change Research 31, 303–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.06.033 while research has found that collaboration between businesses can improve environmental performance.Lewis, K.V., Cassells, S., Roxas, H., 2015. SMEs and the Potential for A Collaborative Path to Environmental Responsibility. Business Strategy and the Environment 24, 750–764. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1843
Online tools are available to support sustainability consultants to broaden their skills.
Industry associations
Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher EducationAASHE. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Retrieved 26 January 2021. The Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) International Society for Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) The Sustainability ConsortiumThe Sustainability Consortium. Retrieved 26 January 2021.Business Coaching and Business Planning. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
Certifications associated with sustainability standards include the Zero-energy building (ZEB), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), WELL Building Standard, and Passive Building Design.
See also Environmental consulting Green accounting Sustainable development Environmental engineer Eco-capitalism
References