In this three-part Leafr guest article, Izzy Vahdati from Brighteye Ventures examines the sustainability skills gap in Europe. The report offers an overview of the sustainability landscape, identifying the key players, outlining the gaps in knowledge and skills, and pinpointing potential opportunities.

We gladly contributed to this report as part of our ongoing mission-to address the skills gap by creating a robust and well-informed group of sustainability professionals. We aim to use our data-set to target their skills more efficiently. If you want to download the entire report, click here.

Overview of the Sustainability Landscape

The landscape has been segmented into six major categories with more specific solutions categorized within these based on their sub-focuses. Groupings were primarily based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) categories along with considering the areas where Edtech solutions could have the highest impact. Since skills deficits are typically less prominent in the Economic part of the GRI topic categories, this segment has not been covered in as much depth as the Environmental and Social elements.

Sustainability Solutions for Various Roles

We've chosen to separate the solutions which are more focused on site-based roles, and those which are more desk-based. Skills required for site-based roles tend to be more practical, often needing in-person training or technology such as VR for a more effective learning experience. On the other hand, the desk-based roles focus more on theoretical knowledge and planning skills.

The 'Employee and Consumer Behavior' category concentrates on solutions that educate consumers and employees on making sustainable choices in their personal lives and workplaces. Mechanisms in this category include operational efficiency solutions and climate action educational tools.

The 'Upskilling and Reskilling' category looks at solutions that aid individuals to develop skills required to access new roles or to improve their performance in existing roles. These solutions range from cost-effective retrofit training to corporate compliance training on critical social topics.

The 'Solutions Focused on Job Placement category� concentrates on providers aiming to enhance the efficiency of matching supply and demand of workers.

Observations from the Report

• There is a growing trend of companies combining upskilling with job placement to bridge the skills gap in the sustainability sector.
• The upskilling and reskilling market for site-based workers is predominantly controlled by legacy companies, showing little innovation this far.
• Green-collar jobs are generally seen as unattractive due to perceptions of poor work-life balance and high levels of risk, which contributes to the skills gap.
• Consumer desire to make sustainable choices is hampered by the associated costs. Solutions targeting consumers need to be seen as �must-haves� to overcome this barrier.
• Employees are increasingly seeking employment with more sustainable companies, and in roles where they feel they are making a positive impact.