Do Sustainability Consultants Need a Code of Conduct?
As a sustainable business consultant, I often find myself navigating complex ethical dilemmas and challenging decision-making processes. Over the past six months, I’ve encountered business inquiries and collaboration opportunities that left me feeling deeply uncertain. Some were tied to industries or regions with documented histories of human rights violations, while others involved potential greenwashing or clients whose values and intentions were unclear.
Notes in German from the key takeaways from the Code of Conduct discussion at Sustainability Camp 2025 in Vienna.
These experiences motivated me to initiate a discussion at the Sustainability Camp Vienna 2025 on February 1. Together with around 10 participants from diverse industries, I explored a pressing question: should sustainability consultants—particularly small businesses like mine—develop a Code of Conduct, and what form should it take? Could such a framework help clarify my business’s stance to potential customers? More importantly, would it enable me to make more informed and confident choices when selecting clients and partners?
My Journey Toward a Code of Conduct
I’ve been considering creating a Code of Conduct as a framework to define which projects and clients align with my values. I also wanted a way to communicate these values transparently, such as by publishing the Code of Conduct on my website. My goal is to simplify decision-making, foster transparency with potential clients, and avoid ethical pitfalls.
But I’ve wrestled with doubts. Would a Code of Conduct be practical, or could it hinder opportunities? Could it even become a way to shut out meaningful change while justifying my own choices? And anyway, how much can I, in running a small business, truly choose my clients when I’ll need to put food on the table?
Thanks to a small EU-funded grant through the “Green at Heart” by Impact Hub Vienna, OekoBusiness Wien and many others, I now have the time and resources to explore these questions more deeply. The Sustainability Camp Vienna provided a great opportunity to bring this topic to the table with other consultants facing similar challenges.
The Case for a Code of Conduct
During our discussion, I learned that several participants had already created “no-go lists” for their companies. These lists detailed industries, types of businesses, or specific clients they refused to work with. Prohibited topics included gambling, weapons, fossil fuels, chemicals, and mining in sensitive regions.
Many participants also stressed the importance of picking projects that meet their ethical standards—and, before that, defining what those ethical standards are. Whether through a clear vision, mission, or values, it became evident that a solid foundation was necessary for ethical decision-making. One story stood out: a participant shared how they requested a Code of Conduct during a job interview with their company. This sparked a conversation about how a Code of Conduct could also serve as a tool in recruitment—both for evaluating potential employers and for attracting talent. Hearing these examples reinforced my belief in the need for a tailored Code of Conduct to ensure alignment with both personal and professional values.
Transparency vs. a Code of Conduct
Some participants argued that transparency is the most important value a consultant should adhere to. Many felt that being upfront about a client project’s intentions, purpose, and potential impact might eliminate the need for a rigid Code of Conduct. Transparency is not just a tool but a core value that sustainability consultants must live and embed into their work.
However, transparency alone does not resolve the tension of working with industries notorious for unethical practices. The participants had many thoughts on whether we should refuse to work with such industries, or see these opportunities as a chance to drive change. Input that I’ve received in other discussions suggests that proactively avoiding whole industries or sectors could even be a form of extremism. The argument—which I found both challenging and thought-provoking—was that we should consistently engage with these businesses and whole industries, pushing them towards better practices. My concern is this: by sitting at their table, do we risk becoming complicit in their greenwashing or other harmful narratives?
Moving Beyond Compliance
Many participants underlined the notion that sustainability consulting should be about helping clients move beyond compliance-focused frameworks. The group discussed the importance of working with clients who seek genuine engagement and transformative change, not just box-ticking exercises. One participant highlighted that companies need us (and many other types of actors!) to help fill their reports with meaningful content. Another participant noted that this often requires consultants to step into a dual role: guiding clients toward impactful sustainability practices while also challenging them to adopt more ambitious goals.
Effort vs. Impact
One of the most striking takeaways for me was the discussion around effort versus impact. Larger organisations, with their resources and influence, were seen as prime candidates for impactful collaborations. Larger companies mean more financial muscles, possibly resulting in more impact. But how do we engage with them without becoming complicit in greenwashing? How do we maximise impact while safeguarding our integrity? As one participant pointed out, consultants must find ways to balance these dilemmas by ensuring their engagement drives meaningful change rather than merely supporting surface-level narratives. These are questions I continue to wrestle with and invite others to consider. Like many participants, I struggle with the inner conflict of wanting to create meaningful impact while grappling with the realities of my clients’ intentions and practices. Many of the participants underscored the importance of defining and authentically living our core values.
Reflections and Future Directions
The Sustainability Camp Vienna 2025 was an invaluable space for exploring the complexities of crafting a Code of Conduct for sustainability consultants. I left the discussion with a renewed commitment to aligning my work with my values and creating processes to better understand and address client needs. While I’m still working through these questions, the discussion confirmed for me that a Code of Conduct, transparency, and values-driven consulting are all critical to navigating this field ethically and effectively. This is not an easy discussion, but it is one worth having as we strive to make sustainability consulting a force for genuine change.
Here are some of the next steps I see as necessary:
Schedule of the Sustainability Camp Vienna 2025.
Draft a tailored Code of Conduct for sustainability consultants, addressing unique challenges and ethical considerations.
Develop structured processes for evaluating client requests and understanding customer needs.
Research and integrate best practices for transparency into daily operations.
I invite all of you to join me in this conversation.
How do we balance effort with impact? How do we stay true to our values while working in a complex, often contradictory world? Do you already adhere to a Code of Conduct? Please share your thoughts as I continue to explore these questions and draft a Code of Conduct that reflects our shared commitment to sustainability.
Feel free to write in the comments below or follow this thread on LinkedIn.
