The Role and Impact of a Sustainability Consultant: Everything You Need to Know

Thought about hiring a sustainability consultant lately? 

If you have, you certainly wouldn’t be the only one. And for good reason. 

Anybody who has worked within sustainability recently will know that the landscape has become increasingly complex and challenging to navigate. New legislation like the CSRD or ESPR for example, seem as if they require full-time focus and effort all by themselves! 

With all these new aspects of sustainability adding to an already bulging workload, it is actually now quite common for companies to hire sustainability consultants. (To be honest, we would be genuinely shocked if a company managed to navigate everything by themselves these days). 

If you are thinking about hiring a sustainability consultant, you’re probably aware that they can help companies with sustainability in some way. But maybe you’re not sure exactly how? 

Well, if you’re unfamiliar with the details, you’ve come to the right place. Because in this article, we will provide everything you need to know about sustainability consultants. Including key info about the following: 

- What is a sustainability consultant? 
- What does a sustainability consultant do?
- Why you should hire a sustainability consultant.
- How to choose the right sustainability consultant for your business. 
- What is a freelance sustainability consultant?
- Advantages of hiring a freelance sustainability consultant. 
- Sustainability consultant success stories. 
- How Dazzle can help you find your perfect sustainability consultant. 

Read until the end, and you’ll have all the information you need to make the right choice for your business. 

What is a Sustainability Consultant? 

A sustainability consultant is a professional who specializes in advising businesses on sustainability practices. 

By offering expert guidance, and taking on several key roles, they can help you achieve your sustainability goals. Or set realistic goals if you haven’t reached that stage in your sustainability journey yet. (It’s really okay if you haven’t by the way, committing to start the journey is the most important step!). 

To do this, they need to possess a wealth of related knowledge and skills. Such as assessment skills, data analysis capability, project management ability, communication skills, and a sustainability-related degree, to name a few. 

On top of this more general expertise, in recent years, sustainability consultants have tended to focus on particular areas of sustainability. Because as we mentioned, the sustainability landscape really has become too vast for anybody to master all of it. 

So today, there are several different types of sustainability consultants available, each focused on assisting companies with different sustainability problem areas. Common types include corporate sustainability consultants, environmental consultants, energy efficiency consultants, and sustainability communications consultants.  

(Please feel free to check out our guide for a more in-depth look at what a sustainability consultant is). 

What Does a Sustainability Consultant Do? 

In general, no matter their particular area of focus, sustainability consultants will usually first assess how an organization is performing in that area. Then, using insights from this assessment, they will develop strategies to improve that performance. The ultimate goal being to maximize the organization’s performance in that area over the long term. 

So essentially, sustainability consultants just make things better. Maybe we could think of them as sustainability superheroes? — We definitely think that has a ring to it. 

When it comes to specific responsibilities though, of course those will differ depending on the type of sustainability consultant in question. Below we look at the most common types of sustainability consultants, and what you can expect them to contribute:

- Corporate sustainability consultants: The job of the corporate sustainability consultant is to help incorporate sustainability into a company’s business strategy. Typically, they will do this by conducting extensive assessments, ensuring compliance with sustainability regulations, creating an actionable sustainability strategy, and helping to implement that strategy. They should also assist with stakeholder communication, report preparation, and progress monitoring, while offering ongoing guidance.

- Environmental consultants: You should give an environmental consultant a call if you’re concerned about your environmental impact. To measure and manage that impact, these consultants will conduct environmental impact audits, ensure compliance with relevant regulations, and develop and implement environmental management systems (EMS). 

- Energy efficiency consultants: Focusing even more specifically, you can bring an energy efficiency consultant on board to help optimize your energy use. They will conduct an energy audit, and develop energy-saving strategies that help you move beyond mere compliance with energy regulations. (Life beyond compliance is so much more fun anyway isn’t it?). 

- Social responsibility consultants: Sustainability isn’t just about the environmental side of things; the social side counts too! And that’s what social responsibility consultants are for. They help to ensure that companies have a positive impact on the communities around them. This usually involves conducting social impact assessments, ensuring social compliance, and developing and implementing social performance strategies. 

- Sustainability communications consultants: In too many cases, companies actually have lots of great sustainability initiatives, but they don’t know how to communicate them effectively. Sustainability communications consultants can fix that disconnect in a number of ways. They will come in and create a tailored communication strategy for a company, and create compelling content that highlights the company’s sustainability initiatives. They will also ensure that the content is shared in the right way, and monitor the success of each campaign. On top of this, they can help companies create standout sustainability reports.

- Regulatory compliance consultants: If complying with any kind of sustainability-related regulations is your main concern, then it’s a regulatory compliance consultant you need. By conducting compliance audits, and developing various compliance programs, they will make sure that you comply with any relevant regulations moving forward. 

(In our deep-dive post on this topic, you will find more details about what sustainability consultants do, as well as a look at future trends in sustainability consulting).

Why You Should Hire a Sustainability Consultant 

After reading about all the different types of sustainability consultants, you’re probably thinking; there are loads of different reasons why you might need to hire one. And yes, you would be absolutely right! 

If you feel like your current business strategy won’t help you achieve your sustainability goals for example, you should hire a corporate sustainability consultant. Or maybe your company’s social performance isn’t up to scratch? Then you should hire a social responsibility consultant. And so on. 

But as well as these specific reasons, there are certain benefits that all types of sustainability consultants provide:

- Regulatory compliance: Whatever their area of focus, one of the first things a quality sustainability consultant will do, is ensure compliance with any relevant regulations. 

- Cost savings and efficiency: All sustainability consultants tend to improve an organization's sustainability performance. And this, in turn, inevitably leads to increased efficiency and cost savings. 

- Improved brand image/competitive advantage: Better sustainability performance generally means a better brand image in the eyes of key stakeholders. And you know what that means!? (Your stakeholders will think you’re better than your competitors!). 

- Risk management: Sustainability consultants are always on the lookout for potential risks. So if you hire one, it means you’ll be on the lookout too. And you’ll be more likely to mitigate them before it’s too late. 

- Innovation and growth: It’s likely that any sustainability consultant you hire will introduce new ways of thinking, suggest new technologies, and generally freshen up your approach. They will help to ensure that you grow in the right way, and adapt to an ever-changing world. 

(You're welcome to read our more in-depth post if you'd like to learn more about why hiring a sustainability consultant can benefit you in particular situations). 

How to Choose the Right Sustainability Consultant for Your Business 

So let’s say after reading the previous section you’ve already decided that you want to hire a sustainability consultant. You feel doing so is the most efficient way to become a sustainability leader within your industry. (We’re inclined to agree with you there). 

The next question you have to answer then is, how do you find the best person for the job? 

It might feel impossible right now, but by considering the following, you can definitely make it happen:

- Start by clearly understanding your objectives, and why you want to hire a consultant. 

- When comparing consultants, prioritize strong experience and track record. 

- A quality consultant should be knowledgeable about recent developments within their specific area of focus. 

- Look for strong communication/collaboration skills.

- It is crucial that you find a consultant who is a good cultural fit for your organization.

- Prioritize consultants who can tailor their services to fit your unique requirements. 

- To get the most for your budget, consider the value each candidate will provide. 

- Consider hiring a freelance sustainability consultant. 

Regarding that final point, hiring a freelance sustainability consultant could be the best way to get maximum value for minimal budget. Something we’ll get into in the next couple of sections. 

(Also, you can check out this post for a deeper dive into choosing the right sustainability consultant for your business). 

What is a Freelance Sustainability Consultant?  

Before we talk about the advantages freelance sustainability consultants can offer, we should probably explain exactly what a freelance sustainability consultant is. 

In short, freelance sustainability consultants are experts who do everything traditional sustainability consultants do, but while working independently. So they have no connection to a consulting firm, and can provide their services to you directly. (No matter what type of sustainability consultant you need, freelance is always an option). 

You should consider choosing a freelance sustainability consultant if you need extra help with a particular area of sustainability, but also have budget constraints, and value flexibility. The freelance option is also very suitable if you need help with short-term projects, or need to bring somebody on board ASAP. This is due to the many added benefits that freelancers provide compared to traditional sustainability consultants. 

(Feel free to check out our guide for a more detailed look at what a freelance sustainability consultant is). 

Advantages of Hiring a Freelance Sustainability Consultant  

As we mentioned, everything a consultancy-based sustainability consultant can do, a freelance sustainability consultant can do better! 

Well maybe not exactly like that. But it is true that freelance consultants should have the same level of expertise, while providing some important extra advantages:

- Cost-effective: With lower overhead costs, and flexible pricing, freelance sustainability consultants offer a more budget-friendly option compared to traditional consultants, without compromising on quality. 

- Extra flexible: Freelance consultants can also be much more flexible, as they’re not restricted by the bureaucracy of consultancy firms.

- Faster onboarding: This lack of bureaucracy also means freelancers can be onboarded much faster. 

- Tailored service: Freelance consultants are better able to tailor their services to each client. This is because they usually have fewer clients at one time, and are more free to focus where they need to. 

- Internal capacity building: While consultancies often do work for their clients, freelancers work with them. This helps with internal capacity building as the freelancer transfers knowledge to the client. 

- Added creativity: Free from the standard practices and processes that firms use, freelance sustainability consultants can get creative with the solutions they offer. Nothing is off the table for a freelance consultant, which opens up extra opportunities for their clients. 

(Check out this post for a more detailed look at the advantages freelance sustainability consultants offer). 

Freelance Sustainability Consultant Success Stories   

With all these extra advantages, it would make sense for freelance sustainability consultants to deliver results their clients are happy with. Well, that is absolutely the case! 

Here are just a few glowing quotes from companies who hired freelance sustainability consultants through Dazzle:

German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund)

According to the German Football Association’s sustainability manager Simon Rasch: "It was important for us to match with a freelancer who worked in our sector and has many years of experience. This is because our sector-specific requirements in major sporting events are very specialized. Dazzle helped us find the perfect match.’’

Midgard 

Jerome Ibañez, Midgard’s Founder stated: "One of the hardest things about working with freelancers (especially in sustainability) is sourcing. It's really difficult and time-consuming to go through tons of pages on LinkedIn to find someone. Dazzle makes finding sustainability freelancers effortless. Just tell them what the project is about, what you think you need, and your budget and they'll come up with a recommendation. All of the freelancers they've introduced to me so far have been spot on.”

Hanzestrohm 

Hanzestrohm’s sustainability manager, Mark Roos, was also happy after hiring a freelance sustainability consultant: ''In the world of sustainability, it is difficult to match up with the right freelance expert for a specific sustainability topic. Dazzle helped us in matching up with a good freelancer. After explaining what we wanted to achieve and what the scope and purpose was of our workshop, Dazzle matched us with the right freelance expert.'

SKIM Group

Same with David Voxlin, SKIM Group’s sustainability director: ‘’Dazzle helped match us with a great freelancer for our project and made the process fast and easy. We simply forwarded our brief and the team at Dazzle took care of the rest. We are really happy with the outcome of the project and look forward to working with more Dazzle freelancers in the future!’’

Nedspice Group

Nedspice Group’s sustainability manager, Renée van den Else, was also delighted after the freelance experience: ‘’We had a great experience working with freelancer, Chi. She brought a wealth of knowledge on the sustainable regulatory landscape and guided us perfectly through our Double Materiality Assessment. The feedback she gave on our current sustainability strategy was very valuable, concise, and practical. Overall, we would highly recommend Chi to any organization trying to enhance their sustainability strategy. A big thanks to Dazzle for the perfect matchmaking.’’

These quotes give you a taste of the positive results freelance sustainability consultants can deliver. At Dazzle, we’d love nothing more than to bring similar results to your organization. 

(For a more detailed look at what the projects above entailed, you can check out our freelance sustainability consultant success stories article). 

Looking for the Perfect Freelance Sustainability Consultant? Dazzle Can Help

If you’ve made it this far (we commend you), it means you now already know practically everything there is to know about sustainability consultants. 

Well okay, not absolutely everything; we kept the best part until last. 

Because the final secret is, when it comes to finding the perfect sustainability consultant for your business, Dazzle is the place to be! 

Dazzle is a platform that offers access to the world’s best sustainability freelancers on demand. 

Whatever area of sustainability you need help with, Dazzle has freelance sustainability consultants perfectly suited for the job. And with Dazzle, quality and reputation is guaranteed as all of our freelancers are extensively pre-screened. 

You can also choose to work with our freelancers on a project-based, on-demand, or interim basis, so the whole process is as flexible as possible.

If you contact us today, we can send you multiple consultant profiles within hours, and we’re sure you’ll find an ideal fit in no time. 

Our whole aim is to make things as hassle-free for you as possible, so you can achieve your sustainability goals without fuss. 

It’s our way of helping to make the world a better place.