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Is ESG Still Trusted?

The Altasu Team
Abstract ESG concept illustration showing a modern city skyline with green leaves, balance scales, and growth bars symbolising trust, sustainability, and accountability.
An abstract illustration symbolising ESG’s evolution — balancing corporate growth with sustainability and accountability.

ESG Jobs in 2025: Has Trust in ESG Survived the Past Five Years?

Over the past five years, ESG — Environmental, Social and Governance — has gone from corporate buzzword to political battleground. Once seen as the future of sustainable finance, ESG and has since faced backlash, accusations of greenwashing, and waning investor confidence.

This shift hasn’t just changed how businesses talk about sustainability — it’s also reshaping the market for ESG jobs. So where does ESG stand in 2025, and what does this mean for careers in sustainability?

From Peak to Backlash: The Decline of ESG Trust and Impact on ESG Jobs

Between 2020 and 2021, ESG was booming. Trillions flowed into ESG funds, boards tied bonuses to sustainability targets, and companies scrambled to publish glossy ESG reports.

But by 2023 the momentum slowed:

  • Investor enthusiasm for ESG strategies fell sharply.
  • U.S. ESG funds recorded billions in outflows.
  • Surveys revealed over 60% of investors distrusted ESG claims, citing greenwashing concerns.

Even the acronym itself has lost appeal. Among the S&P 100, use of “ESG” in sustainability report titles dropped from 40% in 2023 to just 6% in 2025.

Regulation Is Raising the Bar

While the branding has declined, regulation has strengthened. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is bringing ~50,000 companies under mandatory sustainability disclosure rules. ESG rating agencies are being pushed to make their methodologies more transparent and comparable.

This signals a shift away from marketing spin and towards evidence-based sustainability — which has major implications for ESG jobs.

The Future of ESG Jobs

Despite the turbulence, demand for sustainability talent is growing — but the types of ESG jobs companies hire for are changing:

  • Regulatory drivers: Companies need ESG reporting specialists, carbon accountants, and sustainability analysts who can navigate complex disclosure requirements.
  • Proof over PR: Employers are prioritising professionals who can measure, verify, and deliver impact — not just write reports.
  • Integration into core business: ESG responsibilities are increasingly built into finance, operations, risk, and engineering functions.
  • Global competition: With energy, finance, and consumer goods sectors all building ESG teams, candidates with the right mix of technical and commercial skills are in high demand.

For professionals, this means ESG is no longer a standalone department. Instead, ESG jobs are becoming embedded across business functions, offering broader career opportunities but requiring deeper technical expertise.

Final Thoughts

So, is ESG still trusted in 2025? Yes — but not in the way it was five years ago.

The term “ESG” may be fading, but the principles of sustainability, governance, and accountability are more important than ever. For organisations, this means hiring people with real technical skills who can deliver measurable results. For professionals, it means new opportunities in a fast-evolving landscape of ESG jobs.

✍️ At Altasu, we specialise in helping organisations secure the sustainability and ESG talent they need — moving beyond buzzwords and into real impact.

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