The battle for sustainability, ESG and human rights talent has never been more competitive. Companies invest months building hiring strategies, interviewing, and onboarding the right people…only to see them leave within 12–24 months.
The challenge isn’t a shortage of passion or capability. It’s a mismatch between what sustainability professionals expect to be able to achieve and what they’re empowered to do once they arrive.
Based on our conversations with candidates, here are the biggest reasons ESG and sustainability professionals walk away - and what we recommend organisations should do to keep them.
1. Mission Drift: when reality doesn’t match the ambition
Sustainability talent is attracted to organisations that project strong purpose, bold targets and credible commitments. But once inside, many discover:
- Sustainability is treated as a marketing function
- There’s no roadmap to deliver the commitments
- Short‑term commercial pressures override long‑term impact
- ESG is siloed and lacks influence
This disconnect erodes trust fast.
How to fix it
- Be honest during recruitment about where you are on the journey.
- Set realistic timelines and resource expectations.
- Communicate internally what "good" looks like and how success will be measured.
- Create governance structures where sustainability has a genuine seat at the table.
Authenticity is the biggest currency in sustainability hiring and retention.
2. Lack of decision-making power
ESG and sustainability hires are often brought in to “drive change”. But if they don’t have access to decision-makers or influence over strategy, they quickly become frustrated.
Common blockers include:
- Reporting lines buried deep in corporate affairs or marketing
- No direct engagement with product, procurement or finance teams
- Senior leaders making sustainability decisions independently of experts
How to fix it
- Give sustainability leaders direct access to the C‑suite and the board.
- Position sustainability as a strategic function, not a support function.
- Build cross-functional task forces where ESG has equal authority to other departments.
- Empower your sustainability team to say yes (and no).
Retention improves dramatically when professionals feel they can actually shape outcomes, not just report on them.
3. Under-resourcing and overload
Sustainability is expanding faster than most organisations can keep up with. One-person ESG teams are still common, and these employees often find themselves responsible for:
- Reporting
- Data collection
- Strategy
- Supply chain engagement
- Communications
- Policy monitoring
- Stakeholder management
It’s impossible; and burnout is a top reason people leave.
How to fix it
- Scale your ESG function realistically: strategy + delivery + data + comms are separate roles.
- Invest in technology for data capture and reporting.
- Outsource specialist areas (e.g., LCA, assurance, human rights audits) where appropriate.
- Align KPIs with the actual resources available.
Capacity drives impact. Impact drives retention.
4. Poor integration across the business
Sustainability talent rarely leaves because of the work — they leave because of the organisational friction that stops them delivering it.
Challenges include:
- Teams reluctant to collaborate
- Sustainability seen as a barrier, not an enabler
- Leadership not modelling sustainable behaviours
- Business units protecting their existing processes
How to fix it
- Embed ESG literacy training across the organisation.
- Build sustainability into performance reviews and incentives.
- Celebrate operational teams that successfully integrate ESG into their work.
- Create internal champions in finance, HR, supply chain and product.
When sustainability stops being “someone else’s job”, the entire function becomes more resilient.
5. Lack of career progression and professional development
Many sustainability professionals feel they reach a ceiling quickly - especially when the function is small or unclear.
Pain points include:
- No clear pathway to senior leadership
- Limited opportunities to specialise
- No budget for training or certifications
- Skills stagnation as roles focus too heavily on compliance and reporting
How to fix it
- Create defined career pathways that mirror commercial roles.
- Support professional development (e.g., CSRD, ISSB, human rights due diligence, climate risk, sustainable finance).
- Ensure sustainability roles have progression, not just responsibility creep.
- Offer lateral moves into product, operations, risk or procurement.
Progression shows commitment – and commitment keeps talent engaged.
6. Culture that doesn’t value the mission
Sustainability work is emotionally demanding. Professionals are navigating climate anxiety, regulatory pressure, stakeholder scrutiny and the weight of organisational change.
A culture that minimises or dismisses the mission makes it unsustainable.
How to fix it
- Build psychological safety for ESG professionals to speak candidly.
- Celebrate environmental and social wins internally — even small ones.
- Make sustainability visible: town halls, intranet, leadership updates.
- Equip managers to support purpose-driven teams.
Purpose is powerful, but purpose needs support.
Conclusion: retaining sustainability talent is a leadership imperative
Keeping hold of great ESG, sustainability and human rights professionals is core to being able to deliver on strategic organisational goals.
Companies that keep their ESG and sustainability talent for the long term will typically:
- Give them influence
- Resource their work properly
- Integrate sustainability across the business
- Provide genuine career opportunities
- Build cultures aligned with their commitments
When these conditions are in place, sustainability professionals will thrive. And when they thrive, organisations move faster, further and more authentically toward their goals.
If you would like support in retaining your ESG, sustainability or human rights talent, at Leonid we offer a ‘Talent Intelligence’ consultancy service which will optimise your team in terms of salary, structure and responsibilities. To find out more, please contact our Head of ESG recruitment, Adam Bond.
