It’s time we recognised green jobs as critical infrastructure.
Professionals working in Britain's environmental sector remain passionate and committed - but are being underpaid and under-supported, according to insights from the 2025 National Environmental Services Survey. And this exploitation is slowing progress towards net zero.
The major nationwide survey, conducted by Environmental Services & Solutions (ESS) Expo in collaboration with Groundwork and the Environmental Services Association (ESA), gathered views from more than 600 environmental professionals.
Despite three quarters of respondents saying they’re satisfied or neutral about their salary, nearly half admit their pay doesn’t reflect their level of experience or responsibility. This reveals a clear “passion pay gap” where professionals accept lower pay because they care deeply about the work.
Upskilling
“This is a sector fuelled by passion – but passion alone won’t build a net zero economy,” said Rob Mowat, event director at ESS Expo.
“We’re hearing loud and clear from professionals that they’re committed, but increasingly stretched. We can’t keep relying on goodwill while failing to invest in the people and skills we need to drive real progress.”
A total of 63 per cent of professionals within the industry believe there’s a growing shortage of green skills across the UK. The biggest green skills gaps were reported in waste management and the circular economy, climate adaptation and resilience, and sustainability and environmental management.
This suggests that sectors like waste and circular economy - despite being central to the the country's net zero ambitions – continue to suffer from outdated perceptions, struggling to attract young and diverse talent. There’s a need to reframe these industries as future-facing, innovation-driven career paths.
Key barriers to filling these skill gaps include a lack of qualified applicants, limited upskilling opportunities, and, crucially, tight budgets.
Technology
Garry Campbell is the head of policy and communications at Groundwork UK, a charity working across the UK to support communities in building a greener, more inclusive future.
He said: “It’s time we recognised green jobs as critical infrastructure. These are essential roles for delivering climate action, building community resilience, and driving the low-carbon transition. But to attract the talent we need, we must offer the right training, the right support, and fair pay.”
More than half of respondents cited financial constraints as the biggest barrier to achieving net zero, with funding ranking as a top-three priority alongside policy/legislation and innovation.
This links directly to the skills gap, and the struggle to hire and retain skilled workers, suggesting systemic underinvestment in people and green initiatives at large.
Despite the challenges, the mood isn’t all doom and gloom. Respondents pointed to major opportunities in clean technology, the circular economy, and green infrastructure.
Influence
Government and business now need to back these opportunities with action, aligning salaries, career progression and public messaging with the scale of the sector’s potential. Passion alone won’t close 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 huge. The workforce is motivated, and the solutions already exist, but what’s missing is joined-up investment in people, skills, and innovation. That’s the challenge, but also the opportunity, that lies ahead of us.”
The results of the survey will be shared with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency, aiming to inform and influence future environmental policy in the UK.
The full NES Survey report has been made publicly available on the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo website.
This Author
Brendan Montague is an editor at The Ecologist.
