There has been a remarkable surge in Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) jobs over the last three years. This increase in ESG-related positions is a testament to the growing focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility within the Indian job market.

According to the findings of Indeed, jobs related to the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sector have grown by over 223% in India between April 2019 and April 2023.  

The increase over the past three years showcases the remarkable shift as companies increasingly prioritise sustainability efforts. With concerns about climate change and the urgent need to build more diverse and inclusive workforces at the forefront of many business leaders’ minds, an increasing number of firms are pledging to take action on climate, social and other issues by following Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards. 

With a 109% increase, the highest growth in job postings on the Indeed platform was noted between April 2021 and April 2022.

Despite this massive increase, last year saw a decline of 22% in job postings for ESG jobs. This indicates that while sustainability formed a key part of organisational goals due to the pandemic, it may have cooled down in the last year, indicating a stabilisation of this segment of jobs, following the post-covid growth spurt. 

On the other hand, demand from jobseekers has seen a positive growth in the last one year. Job searches for sustainability roles increased by 31% between April 2022 and 2023, the highest growth in the last three years. Interest in sustainability roles grew by 13% from jobseekers overall in the last three years. This shows that there is an increasing demand from jobseekers to work in sustainability and allied fields. 

A similar trend is seen in other APAC countries like Singapore and Malaysia which saw a 146% and 139% increase respectively in ESG job postings in the last three years. Just like India, both these countries saw a decline in the last year (-29% and -10%) but saw strong growth in demand from jobseekers of 71% and 111% respectively in the last three years. 

The rise of ESG jobs on Indeed’s platform reflects the expanding awareness and commitment of Indian businesses to create a greener and more socially responsible future. The notable shift in the way companies approach their operations recognises that environmental and social sustainability is key to long-term success.