Sustainability is becoming a crucial component of contemporary business, governance, and policymaking rather than a specialist issue. The Hindu organized a webinar called “Careers and Courses in Sustainability” with academic and industry leaders in response to the increased interest in sustainability careers.
Avinash Kumar, Program Head, Education, Wipro Foundation; Prof. Dipti Gupta, Assistant Professor, Business Sustainability, IIM Lucknow; and Dr. Santonu Goswami, Associate Professor in the School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University, were on the panel. The conversation shed light on the field’s interdisciplinary character, new prospects in sustainability, and the range of educational paths that lead to sustainability-related employment.
Increasing the reach of sustainability
Sustainability was once limited to environmental scientists and conservationists, but it now includes work in data analytics, finance, policymaking, urban planning, and even narrative. Nowadays, companies incorporate sustainability into the main decision-making procedures.
The webinar highlighted the close connection between sustainability and business strategy by using IKEA as an example, where the Chief Sustainability Officer doubles as the CEO. Mr. Kumar stated, “Sustainability has evolved beyond environmental concerns,” describing how companies now need to assess the resources’ long-term survival. “Ensuring economic and social sustainability is just as important as conservation,” he stated.
Growing Demand for Sustainability Education
Academic institutions are creating specialized courses since sustainability is becoming a major factor in commercial and policy decisions. Dr. Goswami emphasized the opening of Azim Premji University’s one-year M.Sc. program in Climate Change and Sustainability. Through the program’s integration of scientific analysis and policy-making, students are prepared for a variety of positions, including sustainable urban planning and climate risk assessment.
The increasing popularity of MBA programs in Sustainability Management, like the one at IIM Lucknow that concentrates on corporate strategies for sustainable growth, was another topic Prof. Gupta covered. She noted that consulting firms, financial institutions, and multinational organizations are actively seeking sustainability experts, indicating that “the demand for professionals with expertise in sustainability is rising across industries.”
Careers in Sustainability: Opportunities across sectors
The webinar emphasized that sustainability careers are not limited to environmental science but extend to corporate sustainability, sustainable finance, climate risk assessment, Environmental, Social, and Governance reporting (ESG), and even creative fields such as sustainability journalism and storytelling.
In the corporate world, the role of sustainable development has expanded to areas such as: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and charity; Sustainable finances and investments ESG; Renewable energy and sustainable urban planning; Consulting on sustainable development and risk assessment; Campaigns on environmental journalism and public informing.
Many companies, including Wipro, Unilever and H&M, are currently intended for main employees in sustainable development and stable development teams, emphasizing the importance of introducing stability in business models.
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