• 27% of employers say there is a shortage of candidates with the right skills for sustainability related jobs, with half (49%) of jobseekers admitting they lack the necessary qualifications or experience
• Over a quarter (27%) would take a pay cut and, 2 in 5 (39%) would consider retraining to enter the sector
• 3 in 4 (76%) UK workers agree that net-zero commitments can help attract and retain talent
• Indeed surveyed 1,000 workers and jobseekers, and 500 employers, in 2024 and 2025, and found that while people in the UK are interested in securing sustainability-related jobs, employers face barriers when it comes to recruiting

New data from global hiring platform, Indeed, reveals that more than 1 in 4 employers (27%) face skills shortages when it comes to recruiting for sustainability related jobs, while half (49%) of jobseekers admit they lack the necessary qualifications or experience. Additionally, 2 in 5 (41%) workers feel employers are not open enough to transferable skills.

Despite the net-zero economy growing three times faster than the wider UK economy, more than a quarter (27%) of respondents cite a lack of available positions as a key barrier to entering the green jobs market. Location also remains a concern, with nearly 1 in 4 (23%) saying there aren’t enough roles near them. However, this marks a notable improvement from 2024, when 42% felt their location significantly limited their opportunities.

While pay remains a top priority for workers, over a quarter (27%) say they would take a pay cut to work in a role that contributes to sustainability. However, generational differences remain stark. Less than a third (29%) of 18-24 year-olds say they would take a pay cut in 2025, down from 42% in 2024. In contrast, 25-34 year-olds appear more invested in the green sector, with a third (32%) willing to take a pay cut and 42% open to retraining. In fact, nearly half (49%) in this age group say they would consider a sustainability-related role if they were starting their career today – the highest of any group surveyed.

Upskilling to plug gaps 

Encouragingly, more employers now recognise the value of upskilling: 42% believe that better training for existing employees could help bridge the sustainability hiring gap – up from 31% in 2024. On the other hand, fewer workers think the solution lies in early education, with over half (53%) agreeing that more should be done to encourage young people into green careers, compared to 63% last year.

This year, more jobseekers trying to transition into green roles have been unsuccessful (28%) than successful (22%), a reversal of last year’s trend (32% successful vs. 27% unsuccessful).

Net-zero “good for business” 

Half (50%) of UK workers believe a business’s commitment to net-zero targets enhances its brand reputation. In addition, 44% agree that achieving these goals is ‘good for business’, contributing directly to growth and profitability. Three-quarters (76%) of workers also feel that net-zero commitments can help attract and retain talent.

While pay (59%) and flexibility and remote working (47%) remain the top priorities for jobseekers exploring new roles in 2025, having a positive environmental impact (21%) continues to rank in the top five job considerations for the second year in a row – a signal that demand for sustainability-related roles remains strong among UK workers. 

This sentiment is further reflected in long-term career values. Nearly half of workers (44%) say they now place more importance on working in roles that positively impact the environment since when they started their careers. However, this figure has declined since last year (55%). The data suggests that some of the demand may be driven by surface-level motivations: nearly a quarter (23%) say they would consider applying for a green job because they’re drawn to the positive image associated with such roles – up from 1 in 5 (20%) in 2024.

Matt Burney, Senior Strategic Advisor at Indeed, comments: “Bridging the gap between motivated jobseekers and employers’ perceived barriers to hiring will require investment in skills and greater awareness of transferable experience. With the right support, the green workforce can be a powerful force in driving the UK’s net-zero ambitions forward.”