British Environmental Sector Faces Challenges in Achieving Net Zero Goals

Professionals working in Britain’s environmental sector remain passionate and committed, but are facing issues of being underpaid and under-supported, as revealed by insights from the 2025 National Environmental Services Survey. This exploitation is hindering progress towards achieving net zero emissions.

The nationwide survey, conducted by Environmental Services & Solutions (ESS) Expo in collaboration with Groundwork and the Environmental Services Association (ESA), collected feedback from over 600 environmental professionals.

While three-quarters of respondents claim to be satisfied or neutral about their salary, almost half acknowledge that their pay does not reflect their level of experience or responsibility. This indicates a significant “passion pay gap,” where professionals accept lower compensation due to their deep commitment to the work.

Upskilling

“This sector thrives on passion, but passion alone is not sufficient to build a net-zero economy,” stated Rob Mowat, the event director at ESS Expo.

“Professionals are expressing their dedication, but are feeling increasingly stretched. Relying solely on goodwill while neglecting to invest in the necessary people and skills will impede real progress.”

A majority (63%) of professionals in the industry believe that there is a growing scarcity of green skills across the UK. The most prominent green skills gaps were identified in waste management and the circular economy, climate adaptation and resilience, and sustainability and environmental management.

This indicates that sectors such as waste and circular economy, despite being crucial to the country’s net zero aspirations, are struggling to attract young and diverse talent due to outdated perceptions. There is a need to reposition these industries as forward-looking, innovation-driven career paths.

Key obstacles to addressing these skill gaps include a shortage of qualified applicants, limited upskilling opportunities, and constrained budgets.

Technology

Garry Campbell, the head of policy and communications at Groundwork UK, a charity working to support communities in creating a greener, more inclusive future, emphasized the importance of recognizing green jobs as critical infrastructure.

He stated, “It’s time to acknowledge green jobs as essential for advancing climate action, enhancing community resilience, and propelling the low-carbon transition. To attract the necessary talent, we must provide appropriate training, support, and fair compensation.”

More than half of the survey respondents identified financial constraints as the primary barrier to achieving net zero, with funding ranking among the top three priorities alongside policy/legislation and innovation.

This directly links to the skills gap and the difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled workers, suggesting a systemic lack of investment in people and green initiatives at large.

Despite the challenges, there are significant opportunities in clean technology, the circular economy, and green infrastructure highlighted by the respondents.

Influence

Both the government and businesses need to support these opportunities with concrete actions, aligning salaries, career progression, and public messaging with the sector’s potential. Passion alone will not bridge the gap.

“There’s a critical support gap in the environmental services industry,” concluded Rob Mowat.

“The opportunity to shape the UK’s transition to a greener, more resilient economy is immense. The workforce is motivated, and the solutions are already available, but what’s lacking is cohesive investment in people, skills, and innovation. That’s the challenge and the opportunity that lies ahead.”

The survey results will be shared with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency to influence future environmental policy in the UK.

The complete NES Survey report is publicly accessible on the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo website.

This Author

Brendan Montague is an editor at The Ecologist.