The study – conducted by Oxford Brookes Business School in partnership with the Climate Change Coaches – involved a survey and interviews with 159 sustainability professionals, finding that 62% are experiencing burnout related to their work over the past year.
It also found that 69% are finding It difficult to stay motivated, with only 53% of respondents feeling that they receive enough well-being support as a green transition worker.
The emotional strain is being driven by isolation and the unique challenges that sustainability professionals have to face, according to the research.
"These findings are a wake-up call,” said Dr Karen Cripps, senior lecturer in responsible management and leadership at Oxford Brookes Business School.
“Sustainability practitioners are not only tackling complex technical challenges but are also managing profound emotional burdens. There's a clear disconnect between the need for emotional resilience and the support provided by organisations.”
Of the respondents who took part in the survey, 82% of their organisations were headquartered in UK and Europe, with 11% in North America, 4% in Asia, 2% in Oceania and 1% in Africa.
Interestingly, 60% believe that a low priority is given to soft skills training for sustainability professionals, despite influencing leadership and businesses culture being such a key part of their roles.
Indeed, just 8% said that technical skills are the most important skill set.
The researchers describe the green transition as a “people-change challenge”, and recommend training in specialised coaching skills as a solution that can enable sustainability practitioners to collaborate effectively, inspire teams, navigate complexity, balance competing interests, and maintain personal resilience.
“Recognising and responding to climate anxiety, alongside inspiring climate action, is the new leadership challenge,” said Zoe Greenwood, co-founder of the Climate Change Coaches.
“This important research shows that organisations need to prioritise supporting these skills to empower effective climate action and address the emotional challenges faced by people working in this field."
Look out for more on this topic in the next issue of Transform.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of IEMA’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for IEMA members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.