How to start an
ESG career

ESG — environmental, social and governance — covers how organisations measure, manage and report sustainability performance and risks. Environmental work includes energy, greenhouse gas emissions (Scopes 1, 2 and 3), water, waste and biodiversity. Social covers employees, health and safety, diversity, human rights and communities. Governance covers board oversight, ethics, anti-corruption and risk. ESG roles include data collection and calculation, materiality assessments, reporting under frameworks and regulations, supplier assessments, ESG ratings responses, investor queries, target setting and avoiding greenwashing.

Regulation is driving demand. In India, SEBI's July 2023 BRSR Core circular introduced a set of key ESG indicators with reasonable assurance for the largest listed companies, phased in by market capitalisation, along with value-chain disclosures.¹ Globally, the ISSB's IFRS S1 and S2 standards, issued in June 2023, are being adopted by a growing number of jurisdictions.² Climate risk is rising: Copernicus data show 2025 was the third-warmest year on record and 2023–2025 the first three-year period averaging more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.³ ESG careers are growing in India — AmbitionBox lists ESG analysts at a typical ₹5.3–5.9 lakh, up 17% in two years,⁴ and sustainability managers at ₹18.6–20.6 lakh.⁵

Two-year rise in ESG analyst pay in India (AmbitionBox)

17%

Typical sustainability manager pay in India (AmbitionBox)

₹18.6–20.6 lakh

ISSB issued IFRS S1 and S2

June 2023

2023–2025 average above pre-industrial (Copernicus)

>1.5°C

Table: How ESG candidates are assessed (editorial summary)

Table: Greenhouse gas emission scopes (illustrative)

Table: How ESG developed (editorial summary)

• A Scope 1 and 2 calculation from sample data
• A materiality matrix for a company
• A BRSR indicator summary
• A greenwashing review of real claims
• An ESG data template
• A verified ESG fundamentals certificate

Show data and reporting impact: "Built ESG data template for eight plants; reconciled energy data with finance; supported first assured BRSR Core report." Real outcomes only.

"What's the difference between Scope 2 and Scope 3?"

Scope 2 is from purchased energy; Scope 3 covers other value-chain emissions.

"What is materiality?"

Identifying the ESG issues most significant to the business and its stakeholders.

"How would you spot greenwashing?"

Look for vague claims, missing data, selective reporting and offsets used to mask real emissions.

"Why does assurance matter?"

It makes ESG data credible by requiring evidence and controls.

"How would you collect supplier ESG data?"

Prioritise key suppliers, use simple questionnaires, support them and verify where possible.

• "Which reporting frameworks do you follow?" — scope.
• "Is ESG data assured?" — maturity.
• "Who owns ESG data at sites?" — governance.
• "Are there science-based targets?" — ambition.

Table: ESG roles and typical pay in India (AmbitionBox, October 2026; indicative)

Table: Common ESG tools (editorial guidance)

• ESG or sustainability analyst — data and reporting.
• Senior analyst / specialist — climate, social or governance.
• ESG manager — programmes.
• Head of sustainability — strategy.
• Chief sustainability officer — leadership.

1. Week 1: Learn — Study ESG basics, scopes and BRSR indicators.
2. Week 2: Prove it — Calculate emissions from sample data; take the ESG Fundamentals Certification.

Related: Environmental Literacy, Risk Management and Supply Chain Management. Guides: environmental literacy, risk management and supply chain management.

• Data collection — sites and suppliers.
• Calculations — emissions and indicators.
• Reporting — BRSR and frameworks.
• Assurance — evidence for auditors.
• Ratings — investor questionnaires.
• Projects — reduction initiatives.

"What's double materiality?"

Considering both how sustainability issues affect the company and how the company affects people and the planet.

"What's a carbon offset?"

A credit for emissions reduced or removed elsewhere, used to compensate for emissions.

Table: A first-90-days plan (editorial guidance)

Map data sources and reporting requirements. Clean data and document calculations. By the third month, produce audit-ready figures and propose one data improvement.

AI now extracts data from bills and reports, estimates Scope 3 emissions, screens supplier documents and drafts disclosures. It speeds up data work, but estimates must be explained and verified for assurance, and AI-written claims can drift into greenwashing. ESG professionals use AI to handle volume while keeping evidence and judgement human.

Collect electricity consumption by site from bills in kilowatt-hours. Multiply by the relevant grid emission factor, documenting the source and year. Sum across sites. Keep bills and calculations together for audit.

List potential ESG issues. Ask stakeholders — investors, employees, customers, communities — which matter most and assess business impact. Plot issues on a matrix and focus reporting and action on the most material.

Make specific, evidence-backed claims. Disclose baselines, methods and limitations. Don't highlight small wins while hiding bigger impacts. Be careful with offsets and "net zero" language. Review marketing claims with the ESG team.

Create one simple template with clear definitions and units for each indicator. Name a data owner at every site and train them. Set monthly or quarterly deadlines rather than collecting everything at year end. Check submissions for gaps and unusual values, and ask for supporting documents. Consistent site data is the foundation of credible, assurable reporting.

"ESG is just reporting." It's about managing real risks and impacts.

"Big numbers impress." Accurate numbers build trust.

"Offsets solve emissions." Reductions come first.

Assurance providers test whether reported numbers can be traced back to source evidence. For every indicator, keep a short methodology note: definition, boundary, data source, calculation steps, emission factors and their year. Store source documents — bills, meter readings, payroll extracts, incident logs — in an organised folder that matches the reporting structure. Reconcile key figures with finance and HR records so totals agree. Record any estimates, explaining why they were needed and how they were made. Run your own checks before the auditor does: look for missing months, unit errors and sudden changes, and document how each was resolved. Assign a named owner for each indicator who can answer questions during the review. Teams that prepare this way finish assurance faster, face fewer adjustments and build a reliable baseline for future targets.

Finance teams care about cost, risk and investor expectations, so frame ESG data in those terms. Operations teams respond to practical changes that save energy or reduce waste. HR teams own much of the social data and want simple definitions. Leaders want a clear view of material risks and progress against targets. Adapting the message to each audience gets the data and support ESG work depends on.

• Confusing scopes.
• No evidence trail.
• Ignoring social and governance.
• Greenwashing language.
• Weak data skills.

India pay comes from AmbitionBox (read October 2026); BRSR Core from SEBI's July 2023 circular; ISSB standards from the IFRS Foundation; and climate data from Copernicus via ECMWF. The manufacturing scene, scopes table and history are editorial. Science of Apps publishes the free test linked here. Last reviewed October 2026.

• ESG — environmental, social and governance.
• BRSR — India's sustainability reporting format.
• Scope 1, 2, 3 — categories of emissions.
• Materiality — significance of issues.
• Greenwashing — misleading environmental claims.