As leaders, we often speak about sustainability in terms of technology, infrastructure or regulation. Yet in my experience, the greatest determinant of whether an organization can meet its sustainability commitments lies in people. The journey to net zero is, above all, a human capability challenge.
Across the MENA region, governments have set ambitious national visions that place sustainability at the center of economic transformation. These strategies rightly emphasize renewable energy, green finance and sustainable industries. But what sometimes receives less attention is the workforce that must carry these ambitions forward. Sustainability is becoming a universal skillset. Every leader, every professional, and every graduate entering the workforce today needs to understand the language of sustainability if they are to contribute meaningfully to their organizations’ future.
In the past, sustainability was often viewed narrowly, confined to corporate reporting or environmental departments. Today, the expectation is far broader. Boards are asking finance leaders to integrate ESG disclosures into financial reporting. Procurement teams must embed sustainable sourcing practices into supply chains. Project managers are expected to assess climate risks in infrastructure planning. Even human resources leaders are tasked with building cultures that reflect environmental and social responsibility.
This shift signals a fundamental truth; sustainability has moved from the margins of corporate strategy to its core. Just as digital literacy became essential in the last decade, sustainability literacy is now emerging as a defining capability of the workforce of the future.
For leaders, this means developing fluency across a spectrum of competencies, from understanding ESG frameworks and sustainable finance instruments, to navigating stakeholder expectations and aligning business models with global climate goals. Without this fluency, organizations risk treating sustainability as a compliance-driven must-do, rather than as a catalyst of competitive advantage.
The urgency of sustainability upskilling is heightened by two parallel forces. First, regulatory expectations are evolving at pace. New disclosure requirements are reshaping the way organizations account for climate risk and ESG performance. Second, stakeholder pressure is intensifying. Investors, customers and communities increasingly demand evidence of sustainable practices, not just commitments.
As my colleague Yasir Ahmad, Partner and EY’s Sustainability Lead, has observed, the catastrophic impacts of climate change are already very apparent, with many parts of the world facing climate-induced extreme weather events. This reality reinforces the need for governments and businesses alike to prioritize their net zero commitments. Yet Yasir also emphasizes that beyond being the right thing to do, there is a huge strategic opportunity: organizations that adopt a climate-resilient approach can position themselves as leaders in a rapidly changing global ecosystem.
This convergence of regulation and expectation places exceptional demands on leaders. Yet the skills gap remains wide. In the EY Global Corporate Reporting Survey, just 47% of finance leaders said they believe it is very likely their organizations will meet their stated sustainability targets. Bridging this confidence gap requires deliberate, large-scale investment in capability building.
In my conversations with leaders across the region, a recurring theme emerges: the challenge is not a lack of will, but a lack of skills. Leaders understand the ‘why’ of sustainability but struggle with the ‘how.’ Upskilling provides the bridge from ambition to execution, and from commitments to measurable outcomes.
One of the most powerful shifts I have witnessed is the move from viewing sustainability as a compliance exercise to embracing it as a driver of transformation. When organizations focus solely on reporting requirements, they risk missing the bigger opportunity of embedding sustainability into strategy, operations, and culture.
Upskilling is the enabler of this shift. For example, when finance professionals learn to integrate ESG considerations into investment decisions, they also uncover new sources of value. When supply chain teams are trained to adopt sustainable procurement practices, they reduce risk and strengthen resilience. And when leaders are equipped with the skills to articulate a sustainability vision, they inspire their teams and build trust with stakeholders.
In each case, the outcome is that sustainability becomes embedded in the DNA of the organization, shaping decisions at every level.
At EY Academy, we see our role as helping organizations turn sustainability from a strategic aspiration into a lived capability. Through our programs, we equip leaders with the literacy, frameworks, and practical tools to embed sustainability across their organizations.
This means going beyond awareness-raising to deliver measurable outcomes. We design learning journeys that integrate ESG into the core business functions of finance, governance, risk, and leadership. We leverage global expertise and regional relevance to ensure that learning is not only cutting-edge but also contextualized to the realities of the MENA market. And we partner with organizations to evaluate the impact of upskilling, measuring not just participation but tangible behavioral change and business results.
As an example, our sustainability and sustainable finance modules help CFOs and finance leaders integrate ESG into their reporting and decision-making. Our leadership programs embed sustainability as a central competency for executives, driving national transformation agendas. And our innovation-focused initiatives bring sustainability challenges to life, enabling leaders to experiment, fail safely, and learn in real time.
Beyond individual organizations, sustainability upskilling is critical at the national level. Governments across the region have rightly identified human capability as the engine of transformation. Initiatives such as the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategy, Saudi Arabia’s Human Capability Program, and other national development plans emphasize technological investment but also the need for a skilled workforce.
This is where national visions and organizational agendas intersect. By equipping professionals with sustainability literacy, we enable nations to translate policy ambitions into execution. Every trained leader becomes an agent of transformation, multiplying impact across sectors and industries.
As I reflect on the conversations I have with business and government leaders, the message comes across loud and clear that the sustainability challenge is here and now. The decisions we make today will shape whether our organizations and our economies can deliver on the promise of net zero.
For leaders, this means taking bold steps to invest in their people. It means moving beyond ad hoc workshops to embrace structured, sustained upskilling. It means recognizing that the skills needed to drive sustainability are not static; they will evolve as technologies, regulations and stakeholder expectations evolve. And it means leading by example by demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and embedding sustainability into personal leadership practice.
The path to net zero is a unique opportunity to reshape economies, create new industries, and build more resilient organizations. At EY Academy, we believe that equipping leaders and workforces with sustainability literacy is one of the most powerful investments any organization can make. It is an investment in resilience, in competitiveness, and ultimately in a better future. By focusing on upskilling, we can ensure that this opportunity does not go unrealized.
BY: Fazeela Gopalani, Partner at EY Academy MENA, explores why upskilling is the missing link in building a workforce ready for net zero