Freelance sustainability consultant

Hire a Freelance sustainability consultant to help achieve your sustainability goals

Everything you need to know about a Freelance sustainability consultant - What they do and where to hire them

Hire now

What do they do?

A freelance sustainability consultant focuses on helping organizations improve their environmental, social, and economic impact by providing expert advice on sustainability practices and strategies. The consultant may work with businesses, non-profit organizations, governments, or other entities to develop and implement sustainability initiatives, assess their current practices, and create plans to reduce their environmental footprint and operate more sustainably.

Example Projects

  1. Sustainability Strategy Development:
    A sustainable consultant helps design a comprehensive, actionable sustainability strategy that aligns with your business goals. This project might involve mapping relevant sustainability targets against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), setting KPIs, and creating a roadmap that aligns business operations with achieving these goals.
  2. Carbon Footprint Analysis & Reduction:
    The consultant conducts in-depth carbon audits of your operations, helping you understand your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and defining ways to reduce them. This not only addresses environmental concerns but also aligns the business with regulations, standards, and consumer preferences for low-carbon businesses.
  3. Supply Chain Assessment & Optimization:
    This project involves assessing the environmental impact of your supply chain. The consultant provides strategies, such as circular economy approaches, to boost efficiency and sustainability, leading to cost savings and reduced ecological impact.
  4. Sustainability Reporting & Compliance:
    A consultant aids in tracking and reporting sustainability metrics to ensure regulatory compliance. This improves stakeholder communication, risk management, and brand reputation.
  5. Employee Engagement Programmes:
    To create a culture of sustainability, a consultant might develop training and engagement programmes. These initiatives support employee buy-in and foster sustainable behaviour across all levels of the organisation.

Who Do They Work With?

Sustainability consultants collaborate with a wide range of organisational members. They work directly with board members and C-level executives to align sustainability goals with the overall business strategy. Consultants liaise with department heads—from procurement to HR—sharing insights that enable departments to incorporate sustainable practices into their operations. They also work with cross-functional sustainability teams to promote the integration of sustainable practices across different departments. The strategic impact is profound, triggering organisation-wide change and investment in new processes and practices that support long-term sustainability.

Who Should Hire One?

Sustainability consultants are invaluable to industries with significant environmental footprints or regulatory scrutiny, including manufacturing, energy, agriculture, transport, and construction. Medium-to-large enterprises stand to gain the most from hiring a sustainability consultant due to their complex operations. Companies undergoing transformation or entering new markets with different environmental standards can also benefit significantly from a consultant's insights.

ROI and Strategic Benefits

The ROI from hiring a sustainability consultant is multifaceted. Consultants help identify cost savings through efficiency improvements and waste reduction. They mitigate environmental and reputational risks, helping reduce potential regulatory fines and avoiding brand damage. Over the long term, an effective sustainability strategy signals resilience to investors, attracts socially-minded customers, and can even drive innovation. Sustainability initiatives also enhance company culture, attracting top talent and increasing employee satisfaction and productivity. This added value contributes to long-term business success and resilience in a fast-changing world.

Example Job Description (for you to Copy and Paste)

Summary:

As a Freelance Sustainability Consultant, you will play a crucial role in guiding our sustainable business practices and environmental stewardship. You'll contribute to our organisation by assessing current operations, developing strategic sustainability initiatives, and ensuring compliance with global sustainability regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Conduct comprehensive sustainability audits of our operations and practices.
  • Develop actionable, strategic sustainability plans aligned with our organisational goals.
  • Facilitate the implementation of new sustainable practices across various departments.
  • Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our sustainability strategies.
  • Train and educate staff in sustainable practices and environmental consciousness.
  • Ensure compliance with local, national, and international sustainability regulations.
  • Deliver regular reports on our environmental performance and sustainability progress.

Qualifications and Skills:

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, or a related field.
  • Certifications in Sustainability or Environmental Management.

Skills:

  • Extensive knowledge of environmental science and sustainable practices.
  • Mastery of global sustainability regulations.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills.
  • Proven ability to implement change and develop sustainable strategies.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Master's degree in a related field.
  • Experience in implementing ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.

Experience Requirements:

  • At least five years of significant experience in sustainability consulting.
  • Proven track record in developing and implementing effective sustainability strategies.
  • Experience conducting sustainability audits and facilitating change in corporate settings.

Company Overview and Culture:

[Insert Your Details]

Application Process:

[Insert Your Details]

Here’s what our customers say

Hear how our vetted sustainability consultants have driven meaningful change for our clients

Good communication, flexible schedule and delivered exactly what was agreed and on time. Would work with her again!

Alexander Pfeiffer
CEO
at
Terralytiq

Tom helped us with calculating our carbon footprint outputs from 2019 to 2023. He managed everything end to end with minimal client direction. It was seamless and effortless. He's an excellent professional.

Bolu
COO
at
Miai

The support's been great from when we first started speaking, you wrote the brief for me and did all the sourcing. So that was fantastic. Communication has been great. The level of engagement has been brilliant.

Nick Anderdon
CFO
at
Freddies Flowers

‍Working with Leafr has been a pleasure from the beginning. Leafr has a wide network of talented individuals, and they have been able to seamlessly connect us with strong candidates for our various projects.

Lara
Partner
at
Xynteo

Leafr's marketplace boasts an extensive network of highly talented individuals. They have effortlessly connected us with great candidates. Leafr has become our go-to for skilled sustainability professionals.

Brenan Hodkinson
CRO
at
Apiday

Whenever you hire consultants you worry whether they'll be as motivated or skilled as your team. Every Leafr consultant has been so impressive. We spoke to several sustainability agencies and this has been far better value.

Guadalupe Oliver
CEO
at
Candoe

Our expert immediately became a seamless addition to our team. Her work showed a mastery of ESG and a strong understanding of the financial sector. We'd love the opportunity to work with her again.

Jess Katz
Director
at
TRIPTIK

Our consultants have delivered for the best across industries

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Education
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Education
Khan Academy
Education
Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment
Education
IE Business School
Education
IIT Guwahati
Education
University of Gloucestershire
Education
BrainBoost Education
Education
University of Edinburgh
Education
Coventry University London
Education
Chartered Institute of Marketing
Education
University of Cambridge
Education
UC Berkeley
Education
University of London
Education
University of Arizona
Education
NYU Center on International Cooperation
Education
University of Leicester
Consumer Goods
Sol de Janeiro
Consumer Goods
Philips
Consumer Goods
Oil + Water Skincare
Consumer Goods
Liquiproof
Consumer Goods
Fressnapf
Consumer Goods
everyday
FMCG
Co-Op
Consulting & Professional Services
Sustainit
Consumer Goods
Bose
Consulting & Professional Services
ICF
Consumer Goods
BlueMovement by Bosch Siemens Home Appliances
Consulting & Professional Services
WSP
Consulting & Professional Services
Tata Consultancy Services
Consulting & Professional Services
Siegel+Gale
Consulting & Professional Services
Scaled Agile
Consulting & Professional Services
IDEO
Consulting & Professional Services
Roland Berger
Consulting & Professional Services
Presync
Consulting & Professional Services
NSG Environmental Ltd
Consulting & Professional Services
Grant Thornton LLP
Consulting & Professional Services
Gartner
Consulting & Professional Services
Frog
Consulting & Professional Services
Clifford Chance
Consulting & Professional Services
EY
Consulting & Professional Services
ecosecurities
Consulting & Professional Services
Ecopreneur
Consulting & Professional Services
CT Group
Consulting & Professional Services
Carbon Trust
Consulting & Professional Services
Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Consulting & Professional Services
Bain & Company
Consulting & Professional Services
Auditel
Consulting & Professional Services
Aurora Energy Research
Consulting & Professional Services
Anthesis Group
Consulting & Professional Services
Acumen
Consulting & Professional Services
Stone Soup Consulting
Consulting & Professional Services
Metis Consulting Group
Construction & Real Estate
P3 Logistic Parks
Construction & Real Estate
Lendlease
Construction & Real Estate
Clarion Housing Group
Construction & Real Estate
Mileway
Construction & Real Estate
Cushman & Wakefield
Banking and Investment
World Bank Group
Construction & Real Estate
Galehead Development
Banking and Investment
Sustainalytics
Banking and Investment
Symbiotics BII
Banking and Investment
Sequoia
Banking and Investment
Standard Chartered Bank
Banking and Investment
Santander
Banking and Investment
Marubeni Corporation
Banking and Investment
IFC
Banking and Investment
FirstBank-UK
Banking and Investment
International Swaps and Derivatives Association
Banking and Investment
CIMB
Banking and Investment
HSBC
Banking and Investment
Deutsche Bank
Banking and Investment
DBS Bank
Banking and Investment
Development Bank of Japan
Banking and Investment
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Banking and Investment
Blackstone
Banking and Investment
Barclays
Banking and Investment
ASN Bank
Banking and Investment
Axa
Agriculture
MyAgro
Banking and Investment
Earthbanc
Agriculture
Miro Forestry
Agriculture
IronOx
Agriculture
Infarm
Food and Beverage
Lilys Kitchen
Food and Beverage
Charlie Bighams
Food and Beverage
Innocent
Consulting & Professional Services
Triptik
Manufacturing & Industrial
Terrafend
Consumer Goods
Conran Design Group
Non Profit
Clean Cooking Alliance
Manufacturing & Industrial
WD40
Consulting & Professional Services
Xynteo
Tech
CUR8
Tech
Apiday
Consumer Goods
Freddies Flowers
Transportation
Bird
Tech
Salesforce
Tech
Notion
Tech
Watershed
Tech
Skyscanner
No items found.

Not sure where to start? Book a free call with a consultant

Book a free call with one of our consultants. They will help you understand your current position, build out an initial strategy and prioritise the most impactful projects to work on.

Book a Free Consultation

Issac

An impact-driven sustainability expert driving strategic climate action and ESG performance with an MSc in Sustainability from SOAS

Check Cirlce

Verified Expert

Delivered for:

Book a Free Consultation

Hugo

Ex-Strategy consultant now enabling businesses to flourish sustainably through adopting circular economy practices

Check Cirlce

Verified Expert

Delivered for:

Book a Free Consultation

Francesca

Driving sustainability transformation through strategic insights, carbon management, and responsible supply chains

Check Cirlce

Verified Expert

Delivered for:

Book a Free Consultation