While not the primary factor for most candidates, an employer’s sustainability credentials are increasingly coming into play when making the final decision on whether to take up a role with a company.
“Just as customers are becoming more selective about the sustainability credentials of the products and services they use, so are candidates who are considering their options when seeking a new career,” says Deirdre Murphy, AIB director of portfolio management, climate capital.
“They are becoming more and more motivated to work for an organisation that is seeking to do the right thing, particularly when it comes to tackling the greatest challenge facing this generation, climate change.”
The cost of achieving a low carbon economy will run into the trillions and AIB is playing its part, says Murphy.
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“Our €30 billion Climate Action Fund is actively supporting our customers, with €15.1 billion of green and transition finance deployed since the fund launched in 2019, including €3.5 billion in 2024,” she says. “We have established a climate capital division to help deploy this funding. In terms of skills for roles in this division, we look for candidates who are critical thinkers and eager to learn in a fast-moving industry.”
Roles in climate capital typically require candidates to wear multiple hats and be able to navigate between financial, technical and legal due diligence, Murphy points out. Understanding and navigating financial models is also another important part of a role in climate capital.
“Typically, we are seeking candidates with a relevant degree such as business, engineering or someone open to upskilling in this area. More broadly, a key factor in considering any candidate is their genuine interest in the renewable and social infrastructure sectors. Being part of a team that contributes to the roll-out of renewable energy and social infrastructure is very rewarding. It’s extremely satisfying to see projects get built and entering into operation,” adds Murphy.
It’s not just future employees that are interested; current ones are too.
“For many existing and potential employees, a company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy is an increasing priority, and can be a big draw for potential talent and retaining existing employees,” says Mary Lyons, director of enterprise, employees and skills at Solas, the Further Education and Training (FET) authority.
“A clear, achievable sustainability plan can also indicate that a company is progressive, innovative and responds well to the challenges of the evolving business landscape. Such efforts feed into the company’s overall culture, and thus into the daily purpose of each employee.”
The roll-out of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, arising from the European Green Deal’s climate change action objectives, requires companies to disclose their climate and environmental data. By 2026 these regulations will affect companies of all sizes, from multinational corporations to small-to-medium enterprises.
Though implementing ESG measures can seem daunting for a business, sustainability initiatives can create value in terms of attracting talent, she suggests.
“Companies can upskill incoming and existing employees in green skills via highly subsidised FET micro-qualifications, available under the Skills to Advance initiative. These short, flexible, fully accredited courses are available to employees and employers at little to no cost and are delivered locally by your nearest Education and Training Board,” says Lyons.
Solas’s Enterprise, Employees and Skills unit recently launched a report, in partnership with Deloitte, that identified new and emerging occupations in sustainability.
“One of the report’s key insights showed regulation as a clear driver in many organisations’ sustainability agendas, with 52 per cent of survey respondents recognising a need for ESG skills development as a result of government regulation,” says Lyons. “As part of the research, a focus group was held that found that 66 per cent of respondents believed developing sustainable skills and talent at their organisation was both urgent and important.”
It’s also commercially beneficial. According to Lyons, there is evidence of a “purpose premium”, indicating that more purpose-driven companies outperform their peers.
“What may be overlooked by employers, however, is how the offer of sustainability upskilling can add value in terms of talent attraction and retention,” she says.
“As business requirements rapidly evolve to meet the priorities and interests of the population, it is not realistic for employers to keep hiring to fill skill gaps. Instead, employers can invest in their workforce to upskill them in rapidly changing skill areas, such as sustainability skills or artificial intelligence, for example. This way, sustainability upskilling can be one of the benefits offered to employees, instead of being seen as a trade-off for something else.”
Under the Solas Skills to Advance initiative, companies of all sizes can access local, accredited training in sustainability skills via its Green Skills suite of FET micro-qualifications. Modules exist in areas such as sustainability awareness, environmental sustainability in the workplace, circular economy, lean principles and practices, sustainable supply chain procurement, and more.
Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey highlights how purpose is increasingly central to workplace satisfaction and wellbeing. According to the survey, nearly nine in 10 Gen Zs (86 per cent) and millennials (89 per cent) say purpose is key to their job satisfaction.
This focus on purpose extends to career decisions, it finds, with half of Gen Zs (50 per cent) and more than four in 10 millennials (43 per cent) having turned down assignments that conflict with their personal ethics or beliefs. Moreover, 44 per cent of Gen Zs and 40 per cent of millennials report rejecting employers for the same reasons.
“Among the top concerns driving these decisions are factors like an employer’s environmental impact, lack of inclusivity and failure to support employees’ mental health and work-life balance. These findings underline the growing importance of sustainability credentials in attracting and retaining talent, particularly among younger generations,” says Caítlín Flanagan, world climate lead at Deloitte Ireland.
Research suggests that younger generations are willing to make financial trade-offs for sustainability.
“As consumers, about two-thirds of Gen Zs (64 per cent) and millennials (63 per cent) are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products or services. Many are also adopting personal lifestyle changes, such as reducing air travel, avoiding fast fashion, eating plant-based diets or purchasing electric vehicles,” says Flanagan.
“This mindset is increasingly reflected in workplace decisions. Younger generations are prioritising employers whose values align with their own, even if it means compromising on material rewards. As sustainability continues to grow in importance, businesses with strong environmental and social practices will have a clear advantage in attracting and retaining top talent.”
Renewable energy company Orsted sees this at first hand. “Our company’s goal is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Orsted is the largest developer of offshore wind energy in the world and has diversified hugely since its inception as DONG Energy – Danish Oil and Natural Gas – and we are fully focused on clean, renewable power generation in Ireland,” explains TJ Hunter, senior director, development and ops, Orsted UK and Ireland.
“There is no doubt that we are heading for a more sustainable future as a society and that is our number one focus in Orsted. We’ve seen time and time again at careers fairs and when speaking to graduates coming to work for us how our values align with theirs, and how much value the next generation is placing on sustainability and renewables,” he adds.
“For a company like ours, which places so much importance on that, it’s very encouraging to see how engaged and interested the next generation is in our messaging and I think that helps us enormously to both attract and retain our staff.”
