What's ahead for sustainability jobs, skillsets and recruiting

War in the Middle East, climate change, AI: These are just some of the major factors reshaping the sustainability landscape in 2026. In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're asking: What does all this mean for careers in sustainability?

To understand how recruiting is changing for sustainability roles at all levels, we talk to Kurt Harrison, who founded and co-leads the global sustainability practice at leadership advisory and search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.

Despite recent headwinds, "sustainability is alive and well," Kurt says. "We're now more in the implementation and operationalization phase of sustainability, where it's not driving a ton of new hiring, but it is certainly a key component of any credible corporate strategy."

We explore how the Chief Sustainability Officer role is evolving in an interview with Ellen Weinreb, founder of boutique search firm Weinreb Group. She tells us why the US has seen a drop in the number of executives holding the CSO title, how AI is impacting the job search, and what she's hearing in the recruiting process.

"Companies are focused on adding value, and so they're looking for sustainability leaders who can demonstrate the value," Ellen says.

And to understand the skillsets that sustainability professionals need to succeed in this changing environment, we talk to Tensie Whelan. Tensie was the Founding Director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, where she is now a senior advisor. She explains how the center trains university students from all backgrounds to navigate changing talent expectations in 2026.

"One of the things that we're working on is engaging students and executives around how they can invest or drive sustainability at speed and scale through the understanding that, actually, this is part of business strategy that will drive better enterprise value," Tensie says.

Further listening:

Hear our previous podcast episodes about sustainability jobs and recruiting:

What's ahead for green, climate and sustainability jobs | S&P Global

How the global ESG recruiting landscape is changing | S&P Global

The rise of the ESG controller in the sustainability talent landscape | S&P Global