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Sustainability Analyst

A Sustainability Analyst will have a broad understanding of measuring and managing environmental and social impacts in a commercial context, supported by deeper knowledge of one or more areas such as net zero, supply chain sustainability, social impact or environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting.

They will be responsible for researching, analysing and reporting on sustainability markers and indicators for an organisation.

£22k – £30k

Entry-level salary range

£27.5k – £45k

Early-career salary range

£40k- £70k

Experienced salary range

Please note: the information in our job profiles aims to give a general overview of the role and a guideline to what it involves. The content is not intended to be exhaustive and roles will vary depending on the organisation and sector. The salary ranges are a guide only, as these are dependent on the size and location of the organisation.

How does this role align to the green agenda?

The demand for highly educated professionals to research and adopt more sustainable practices is greater than ever.  

Sustainability Analysts work with businesses and organisations to help them understand and improve their social and environmental impacts, weaving sustainable thinking into the fabric of commercial decisions. This can include dismantling the complexities around governance, compliance and targets, and also defining and building decarbonisation strategies and the processes, systems and frameworks that will help companies meet their sustainability goals.  

By enabling good environmental decision-making and more ambitious target setting for positive environmental impacts in the future, Sustainability Analysts contribute to creating a more eco-friendly and socially responsible corporate landscape, aligning the organisation’s objectives with public demand for greener, more ethical business operations. 

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Skills and capabilities

Sustainability Analysts need the capacity to work on multiple projects simultaneously within tight deadlines, and to interpret insights from data to identify risks and opportunities. Sustainability Analysts need to be able to communicate complex technical information in a succinct and accessible way, through excellent oral and written skills as applied to presentations and written reports.

 

Technical knowledge

  • Experience working on sustainability projects as a researcher or analyst
  • A working knowledge of Green House Gas (GHG accounting and net zero principles, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and popular environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting frameworks
  • Experience of working with large datasets and the ability to synthesise and interpret data into meaningful and material conclusions
  • Intermediate to advanced spreadsheet skills and the ability to learn new technology applications.
Learn more about upskilling
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A day in the life of a Sustainability Analyst

Sustainability Analysts are usually office-based, and sometimes may travel to sites on request for meetings. Typically, the role is full time, although may be offered on a contract basis depending on the employer and projects being undertaken. 

  • Undertaking detailed data analysis, research and a range of tasks that will support project managers / directors for sustainability projects
  • Interpretation of data and statistics to support analysis and forecasts, and preparing high quality reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders
  • Developing and writing powerful narratives on environmental and sustainability issues
  • Supporting and assisting other members of the sustainability team and contributing to developing new products and services
  • Analysing quantitative and qualitative inputs to understand a business’s impacts and prepare recommendations for improvement
  • Supporting project leads to ensure excellent collaboration and communication within project teams
  • Developing emissions reductions strategies, including science-based targets and net zero roadmaps as well as ESG goals.

Entry routes

Relevant sectors

Sustainability Analysts are needed in businesses across all sectors and organisations, in both the public and the private sector.  

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Learn about the green agenda across different sectors

Information kindly supplied by:
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Acclaro Advisory

Acclaro Advisory helps organisations maximise their performance by improving their environmental and social outcomes and supports them to achieve zero carbon and positive social impact.

Success stories

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ISEP is the membership body for environment and sustainability professionals