Spotlight Summary: The Sustainability Skill Set - Every Role is a Sustainable Business Role” with Sarah Webster
- mduffy486
- May 19
- 2 min read
Event Recap: “The Sustainability Skill Set – Every Role is a Sustainable Business Role” with Sarah Webster

On Friday the 16th May, the PRME UK and Ireland community came together for a thought-provoking session featuring sustainability expert Sarah Webster. Organised by the PRME UK and Ireland Working Group on Careers and Sustainability, the event focused on the evolving role of sustainability in professional life and higher education.
Titled “The Sustainability Skill Set,” the session centred around the idea that every role in today’s workforce can and should contribute to sustainable business practices. Drawing on more than twenty five years of experience across global companies including Britvic, Diageo and GSK Consumer Healthcare, Sarah provided powerful insights into how sustainability is becoming embedded in business functions from finance and marketing to supply chain and governance.
Sarah shared her perspective that sustainability is no longer the responsibility of a single team or department. Instead, she argued it must be treated as a foundational lens through which organisations make decisions, evaluate risks and create long-term value.
Referencing her former role as Director of Sustainability, Sarah described how she helped integrate sustainability into the company’s strategic growth framework. This included setting robust global standards for execution, reporting and accountability, while leading stakeholder engagement to ensure openness and trust.

The session addressed a number of key themes that resonated with both academic and professional audiences. Sarah discussed the sustainability skills that are increasingly in demand by employers, such as systems thinking, cross-sector collaboration, and ethical decision-making. She also explored the critical role that universities play in equipping students with these skills, and emphasised the need for sustainability to be woven through the curriculum rather than taught in isolation.
Importantly, Sarah offered practical advice for students on how to identify and communicate their sustainability competencies when entering the job market. Sarah encouraged attendees to reflect on their academic experiences, extracurricular activities and values, and to speak confidently about their ability to contribute to a more responsible and resilient future.

The session concluded with a lively discussion, with participants reflecting on how to embed sustainability into career support services and how business schools can adapt to meet the growing expectations of employers and society.
PRME UK and Ireland extends its sincere thanks to Sarah Webster for her time, expertise and generosity in sharing her journey. We also thank all attendees for contributing to an engaging and inspiring conversation about the future of work, education and sustainable development.
For more information, or a recap, see here
Sustainability Skill Set - Every job is a sustainable business role - Sarah Webster (Sustainability Director) (May 2025)
Working Group Page: https://www.unprme.org.uk/careers-and-sustainability-working-group
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