The State of the Sustainability Profession.

A new report from Trellis Research, The State of the Sustainability Profession 2024, highlights how corporate sustainability is evolving amid a wave of new regulations, shifting leadership priorities, and changes in talent demands. As the group’s eighth biennial report on the subject, this year’s findings underscore key trends and opportunities in how large organizations approach sustainability. 

With over 75% of the 1,185 respondents employed by large organizations with revenue greater than $1billion USD, and primary representation from the Consumer Goods (16%), Technology (13%), Professional Services (12%), and Financial Services (9%), the report provided insightful takeaways about the state of the profession going into 2025.

1. Regulation is reshaping corporate sustainability.

• The rapid rise of regulations, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and California’s climate disclosure laws (SB 253 & SB 261), is forcing sustainability from a voluntary initiative to a compliance-driven necessity.
• The demand for ESG assurance, reporting, and emissions disclosures (including Scope 3) is accelerating. 
• The report highlights a $5.7 billion market for ESG assurance and compliance, signaling continued investment in carbon measurement, verification, and mitigation.

2. Sustainability is becoming a Finance & Legal Issue.

• The report notes that responsibility and oversight for ESG reporting is increasingly shifting to CFOs and legal teams, rather than being siloed in corporate sustainability departments.
• The rise of ESG controllers (a new role in 50%+ of Fortune 100 companies) suggests sustainability is moving toward financial-grade data integrity.
• Sustainability leaders are also gaining influence at the executive level—30% now report directly to the CEO, up from 22% two years ago.

3. Sustainability is at a strategic crossroads.

• While regulations are increasing, the report warns that many companies may shift their focus to minimum compliance rather than true impact.
• CEO engagement in sustainability is declining (down 9 percentage points since 2022), and budgets are growing more slowly indicating that companies are shifting investment from ambitious climate goals to regulatory risk management.
• Greenhushing (downplaying sustainability efforts to avoid scrutiny) is rising, with 14% of companies cutting back on ESG language in communications.

4. Corporate demand for sustainability talent is evolving.

• The highest-paid sustainability professionals are in technology, financial services, and consumer goods, with VP salaries averaging $471,933—signaling the financialization of ESG.
• 74% of large companies increased their sustainability headcount over the past two years.
• The ESG consulting market is shrinking as firms move compliance in-house, but freelance sustainability expertise is booming (+500% growth on Upwork since 2019).

Invert Insights.

💡 As companies navigate the trade-off between minimum compliance and meaningful impact, those integrating carbon strategies into core business planning will gain a competitive edge. Organizations that proactively invest in nature-based solutions and high-quality offset projects—rather than merely fulfilling regulatory obligations—will be better positioned for long-term sustainability leadership.

💡 With CFOs and legal teams taking on ESG oversight, the demand for audit-ready carbon credit portfolios will rise. Buyers of offsets will increasingly scrutinize projects for financial-grade transparency, robust methodologies, and third-party validation. This shift underscores the need for rigorous measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) in the carbon markets.

💡 As large organizations move sustainability compliance in-house and reduce reliance on external ESG consultants, there will be a growing demand for specialized carbon market expertise within corporate teams. Companies will need internal professionals who understand carbon credit integrity, project due diligence, and regulatory alignment. The shift to this new way of working will emphasize the importance of identifying industry partners, like Invert, who can offer advisory services, capacity-building, and bespoke carbon project development to navigate this transition.

Want to keep reading? Check out the latest Invert Insights.