Understanding the climate and sustainability career landscape

This chapter broadly defines climate and sustainability jobs as roles where social and environmental issues intersect with the private sector. It provides historical context for the sustainable business movement, tracing its roots from socially responsible investing in the 1960s to the “triple bottom line” concept in the 1990s, and the elevated importance of sustainability due to the climate crisis and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The author then describes the wide landscape of career paths and encourages MBAs to think expansively about career options across various industries, organization types, and management functions, emphasizing that success requires proactive networking, creative positioning, and persistent effort. This chapter includes list of examples of real MBA internships and jobs in different climate and sustainability careers.