So You Want to Work in Sustainable Finance? RMI Provides Insight

The document outlines the growing demand for sustainable finance professionals to facilitate the transition to a sustainable economy. It identifies diverse career paths in the public sector (multilateral development banks, green banks), the private sector (consulting, financial institutions, clean tech), and NGOs (foundations, thought leadership organizations). It notes that while finance backgrounds are advantageous, the field welcomes professionals from law, policy, and management, and highlights recent initiatives like the Breakthrough Energy Coalition and the Catalytic Finance Initiative as evidence of the sector's growth.

• Opportunities for sustainable finance professionals are available across three primary sectors: the public sector, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
• Public sector roles range from supranational multilateral development banks to federal programs—including over 30 in the U.S. focused on clean energy and energy efficiency—as well as state-level green banks and municipal-level sustainability roles.
• Private sector opportunities exist within consulting firms, renewable energy developers, and various financial institutions, including pension funds, global and specialty lenders, insurance companies, and wealth managers.
• NGOs and foundations contribute to the transition through thought leadership, collaboration, and the allocation of capital, with some foundations engaging in divestment from industries contributing to climate change or pursuing impact investing.
• While finance experience is advantageous, the field of sustainable finance is multidisciplinary, incorporating professionals with backgrounds in law, policy, management, consulting, and entrepreneurship.

APA

RMI (2016). So You Want to Work in Sustainable Finance? RMI Provides Insight. https://rmi.org/resources/want-work-sustainable-finance-rmi-provides-insight/

Chicago

RMI. So You Want to Work in Sustainable Finance? RMI Provides Insight. 2016. https://rmi.org/resources/want-work-sustainable-finance-rmi-provides-insight/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=So You Want to Work in Sustainable Finance? RMI Provides Insight |date=17 June 2016 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/want-work-sustainable-finance-rmi-provides-insight/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2016you, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{So You Want to Work in Sustainable Finance? RMI Provides Insight}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/want-work-sustainable-finance-rmi-provides-insight/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }