Business knowledge serves
as a good foundation
Responsibility for sustainability management may be situated in different corporate areas, such as Controlling or Quality Management. There are different pathways to taking up this career, even though there has been a certain level of professionalization and even though many specialized degree and training programs have popped up in recent years. Almost all employers are looking for specialists with a university degree.
Effective sustainability management is based on statistics. In this environment, an economics degree is a very good foundation. Employers require this degree more than any other; it is mentioned in over half of the job vacancies. However, they often name other alternative degrees they would accept for the position, such as a degree in sustainability management or in engineering.
All other degrees are mentioned much less frequently in the requirements profiles: for instance a statement that applicants should have completed an engineering degree or an exam in the sustainability area.
Many newly hired specialists will be working with environmental and climate protection issues, as evidenced by the frequency with which advertisements mention degrees in the natural sciences. However, sustainability is also a potential opportunity for further development for those with a degree in architecture. This degree is of particular interest to employers in the real estate and construction industry.
A review of the degrees mentioned shows: this comparatively young discipline offers interesting prospects to potential applicants from many different fields.
Source: DEKRA Akademie 2024
Base: 343 job vacancies (multiple responses)
Experience is
an advantage
Nine out of ten employers say professional experience is important (89.5 %). Duties are challenging, and a certain “standing” is essential when dealing with departments, the general management, or external parties. Not all of them, after all, will take ESG issues seriously or understand the opportunities they present. 27.1 % of employers include a more general statement, indicating that professional experience is “desired.” Around a quarter of advertisements say good candidates should have already worked for multiple years in the area, while another quarter generally require “professional experience” (24.5 %). In 25 cases, however, candidates must have been in their career and focused on these issues for “many years” to make the final cut.
