Careers · recruitment · checked 30 September 2026
Sustainability and ESG recruitment agencies: how they work
Specialist sustainability and ESG recruitment agencies fill many of the UK’s sustainability roles, from analyst to chief sustainability officer.
This page explains how they work, what the Employment Agencies Act 1973 lets them charge, who regulates them, and how to brief one on a reporting role.
It ends with eleven firms, each described only from its own website.
About this page
An independent guide, not an agency
uksrs.org.uk is an independent reference on UK sustainability reporting; the UK SRS reference homepage sets out what the site covers.
We are not a recruitment agency, we do not place candidates, and we offer no services to candidates or employers.
The firms below are described from their own published material, in alphabetical order; inclusion is not a recommendation and the list is not exhaustive.
The sustainability recruitment section of this site covers how the market hires for particular roles.
The law
What an agency may charge, and who checks
The first thing a candidate should know is that an employment agency generally cannot charge them for finding them work.
Section 6 of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 prohibits it, subject to exceptions the Secretary of State prescribes, and makes contravention a criminal offence.
The detailed conduct rules for agencies and employment businesses are in the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
Since 7 April 2026 the Fair Work Agency has enforced the regulation of employment agencies and businesses in England, Wales and Scotland.
It took over that role from the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and the government’s strategic steer of the same date brings agency regulations under the new body.
In Northern Ireland, agencies are regulated by the Employment Agency Inspectorate in the Department for the Economy.
Many agencies also join the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, the industry’s trade body; membership is voluntary and is a matter between the firm and the REC.
A person carrying on an employment agency shall not request or directly or indirectly receive any fee from any person for providing services for the purpose of finding him employment or seeking to find him employment — except in cases the Secretary of State prescribes.
Source: legislation.gov.uk.
Contravention is an offence under s 6(2).
How they work
Retained, contingent, contract: the three models
| Model | How it works | Usually used for |
|---|---|---|
| Retained executive search | One firm engaged exclusively, with part of the fee paid in advance; the firm maps the market and approaches candidates directly | Head of sustainability, sustainability director, chief sustainability officer |
| Contingent recruitment | Paid only if the firm’s candidate is hired; several firms may work the same role | Analyst, manager and specialist roles |
| Contract and interim | The firm supplies a worker for a fixed period, often through an employment business | Covering a reporting cycle, a first SECR build or UK SRS readiness |
Senior roles tend to go to retained search because the best candidates are usually employed and not looking.
Contract work concentrates around deadlines, such as the ESOS Phase 4 notification due by 5 December 2027 or a listed company’s first UK SRS reporting period, which begins on or after 1 January 2027 under the FCA’s PS26/19.
Our pages on the head of sustainability and chief sustainability officer roles describe what those hires own.
Assessment
How candidates are assessed, and why it matters here
Assessment matters more in sustainability than in most fields because the job titles are inconsistent.
A “sustainability manager” at one employer runs data reporting; at another the same title means stakeholder engagement.
ISEP’s 2025 survey found only 19% of respondents’ organisations include sustainability and environmental knowledge as a standard criterion in job descriptions, so the recruiter often has to test for it.
The usual tools are a structured competency interview and a technical screen of the regimes the role will run.
Some firms add psychometric tests from publishers such as SHL or Korn Ferry; the British Psychological Society publishes material on the use of psychological tests.
Credentials are checkable: Chartered Environmentalist status is held on the Society for the Environment’s register, and ESOS lead assessors must be on an approved register — see ESOS lead assessor.
A technical screen worth running
Emissions accounting under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.
The SECR test and methodology, from the government’s SECR guidance.
ESOS audit requirements and the lead assessor role, from the Environment Agency.
What UK SRS asks for, from the government’s UK SRS guidance.
Briefing a recruiter
Brief on the obligation, not the title
The most useful brief states the deliverable: which regime, which disclosures, which dates.
“This role owns our SECR report, from data collection to the directors’ report” produces a different shortlist from “sustainability manager wanted”.
For a listed company, say whether the role will prepare UK SRS disclosures under the FCA’s comply-or-explain rules; UK SRS S1 and S2 sets out what the standards ask.
For an ESOS role, say whether the company needs an internal lead assessor or will appoint an external one, because the regulations treat the two differently at sign-off.
| If the role owns… | Brief on | Read |
|---|---|---|
| The SECR report | Data collection, methodology and the directors’ report disclosure | SECR reporting guide |
| The ESOS cycle | The Phase 4 assessment, the action plan and the 5 December 2027 notification | ESOS Phase 4 guide |
| ESOS requirements | Who qualifies and what must be audited | ESOS requirements |
| UK SRS reporting | The disclosures, the comply-or-explain statement and the data behind them | UK SRS compliance |
| The emissions data platform | Which system, and who owns it | Carbon reporting software |
The firms
Eleven specialist recruiters, in their own words
Each line is taken from the firm’s own website, read on 30 September 2026.
The order is alphabetical, it is not a ranking, and the list is not exhaustive.
| Firm | What its site says it covers | Services it describes | Offices it names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acre | Sustainability, ESG and clean energy | Executive search and professional recruitment | London, Amsterdam, New York, Singapore |
| Climate17 | Renewable energy and sustainability | Recruitment | UK, United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italy |
| Eden Brown | Built environment, public and third sectors | Permanent, contract and temporary | London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester |
| EnableGreen | ESG and sustainability, including renewable energy, climate, cleantech and sustainable finance | Recruitment and executive search | London, New York, Dubai, Paris |
| The Green Recruitment Company | Clean energy, climate tech and sustainability | Retained, contingent, contract and RPO; a sister company for executive search | London and offices in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US |
| Hanson Search | Communications, public affairs, sustainability, financial services and technology | Executive search, recruitment and leadership advisory | UK, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, US |
| Hays | A dedicated sustainability recruitment team within a generalist recruiter | Recruitment | UK-wide |
| Lewis Davey | Climate, clean energy and responsible business, including sustainable buildings, ESG and responsible finance | Recruitment | UK and US |
| Principal People | Health and safety, environment, quality, sustainability and CSR | Permanent, contract and interim, and executive search | UK |
| Shirley Parsons | Health and safety, sustainability and environment, and quality | Recruitment and executive search | Aylesbury and Reading |
| Verdant Search | ESG and sustainability, mainly management and senior appointments | Permanent and contract | Oxfordshire |
Several of these firms also publish salary guides.
Where a guide does not say how many people it surveyed, treat its figures as market claims; our salary guide uses only official statistics and professional-body surveys.
Frequently asked
Sustainability recruitment agencies, answered
Can a recruitment agency charge me a fee for finding me a job?
Generally, no.
Section 6 of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 says a person carrying on an employment agency must not request or receive, directly or indirectly, any fee from a person for finding them employment or seeking to find them employment, except in cases the Secretary of State prescribes.
Contravention is a criminal offence.
The employer pays the agency.
Who regulates recruitment agencies in the UK?
In England, Wales and Scotland, the Fair Work Agency, which launched on 7 April 2026 and took over the work of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.
In Northern Ireland, the Employment Agency Inspectorate in the Department for the Economy.
The conduct rules are in the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
What is the difference between retained and contingent recruitment?
In retained search, an employer engages one firm exclusively and pays part of the fee in advance, which is common for head of sustainability, director and chief sustainability officer roles.
In contingent recruitment, the agency is paid only if its candidate is hired, and several agencies may work the same role; it is common for analyst and manager roles.
Fees are agreed between the employer and the firm; none is set by law.
Do I need a specialist sustainability recruiter?
For technical reporting roles, a recruiter who understands SECR, ESOS and UK SRS will screen candidates better, because job titles in sustainability are inconsistent and the same title can mean data reporting at one employer and stakeholder engagement at another.
For generalist roles a generalist recruiter may be enough.
How are sustainability candidates assessed?
Usually by a structured competency interview and a technical screen of the regimes the role will run: GHG Protocol emissions accounting, SECR, ESOS or UK SRS.
Some firms add psychometric tests from publishers such as SHL or Korn Ferry; the British Psychological Society publishes guidance on the use of psychological tests.
Which sustainability recruitment agencies operate in the UK?
Firms whose own websites describe sustainability or ESG recruitment in the UK include Acre, Climate17, Eden Brown, EnableGreen, The Green Recruitment Company, Hanson Search, Hays, Lewis Davey, Principal People, Shirley Parsons and Verdant Search.
The list is in alphabetical order, is not exhaustive and is not a recommendation.
Does uksrs.org.uk recruit or place candidates?
No. uksrs.org.uk is an independent reference on UK sustainability reporting.
It is not a recruitment agency, does not place candidates and offers no services to candidates or employers.
How do I brief a recruiter on a sustainability reporting role?
Start with the obligation the role delivers: which regimes, which disclosures and which dates.
For example, a role that owns the SECR report, the ESOS Phase 4 cycle to the 5 December 2027 notification, or the data behind UK SRS reporting for a listed company from 1 January 2027.
A brief built on the deliverable produces a shortlist that can deliver it.
Sources
Primary sources
Every figure, date and status on this page traces to the instrument’s owner.
Secondary commentary is never the source for a number.
- legislation.gov.ukEmployment Agencies Act 1973, section 6
An employment agency may not request or receive a fee from a person for finding them employment; contravention is an offence.
- legislation.gov.ukThe Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/3319)
The conduct rules for agencies and employment businesses.
- Department for Business and Trade (business.gov.uk)The Fair Work Agency
Launched 7 April 2026; enforces the regulation of employment agencies and businesses in England, Wales and Scotland.
- Department for Business and TradeStrategic steer to the Fair Work Agency for the transitional year (PDF), 7 April 2026
Agency regulations brought under the Fair Work Agency from April 2026.
- GOV.UKEmployment Agency Standards Inspectorate
Replaced by the Fair Work Agency.
- British Psychological SocietyPsychological testing
The professional body’s material on the use of psychometric tests.
- Recruitment & Employment ConfederationREC — the recruitment industry’s trade body
A voluntary membership body for recruitment businesses.
- GHG ProtocolCorporate Standard
The emissions accounting a technical screen should test.
- GOV.UKStreamlined energy and carbon reporting
The SECR guidance behind a reporting role.
- GOV.UK (Environment Agency)Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
The scheme behind ESOS and lead assessor roles.
- Department for Business and TradeUK Sustainability Reporting Standards — guidance
The standards, available for voluntary use by any entity.
- Financial Conduct AuthorityPS26/19: Aligning listed issuers' sustainability disclosures with international standards
Comply-or-explain UK SRS reporting for listed companies from 1 January 2027.
- Institute of Sustainability and Environmental ProfessionalsState of the Sustainability Profession 2025 (PDF)
Job titles and how organisations write sustainability into job descriptions.
- Society for the EnvironmentChartered Environmentalist (CEnv)
A credential a candidate can evidence and an employer can check.
Continue reading