If climate consulting worked, would we still be in crisis?

For the past two decades, climate consultants have played a central role in corporate sustainability efforts. They’ve helped businesses measure their emissions, set reduction targets, and navigate regulatory frameworks. And yet, despite all the sustainability reports and net-zero commitments, global emissions continue to rise. If climate consulting were truly effective, would we still be facing a worsening crisis? 

The issue isn’t that climate consultants aren’t doing their jobs. It’s that their jobs have been shaped by a system that values reporting over action. Carbon management has become a compliance exercise — more about ticking boxes than transforming business models. The real question isn’t whether the role of the climate consultant is dead, but whether it was ever designed to deliver the impact we need. And if not, what comes next? 

Carbon management: a system built for compliance, not transformation 

Corporate climate action began as a movement to drive real change, but somewhere along the way, it got entangled in regulations, frameworks, and endless calculations. Sustainability professionals spend more time compiling emissions data than implementing solutions. Consultants, instead of being catalysts for transformation, are stuck in the role of auditors and data processors. 

The rise of mandatory disclosures has further cemented this compliance-first mindset. While transparency is crucial, it has shifted the focus away from impact. Companies are optimising for accurate reporting, not decarbonisation. The same pattern is emerging across industries: measure, report, repeat — but act? That remains secondary. 

Technology isn’t replacing consultants — it’s replacing inefficiency 

Enter AI-driven climate tech. Software platforms are automating the heavy lifting of carbon accounting, making it faster, more accurate, and fully auditable. AI and automation can now handle emissions tracking, compliance alignment, and even scenario analysis in ways that were once labour-intensive and consultant driven. 

Does this mean climate consultants are obsolete? No, but their function is changing. The work that once defined their role — data gathering, calculations, reporting — is no longer a competitive advantage. What’s left is the work that actually matters: interpreting insights, advising on decarbonisation strategies, and driving systemic change. 

Beyond consulting: the shift from advice to embedded climate intelligence 

This shift isn’t just happening to consultants — it’s happening across entire industries. The old model, where businesses relied on external advisors for sustainability expertise, is giving way to a new paradigm where climate intelligence is built into decision-making processes in real time. 

Consider how finance has evolved. Accountants were once indispensable for every financial calculation; now, software handles most of it instantly. But financial strategists didn’t disappear —they became more valuable. The same transformation is happening in climate management. Carbon is becoming an operational metric, as embedded in business processes as costs or revenues. The companies leading this shift won’t just measure and report emissions — they will automatically adjust operations to optimise them. 

The future: self-regulating sustainability 

What is next? It isn’t better consulting or even better software. It’s a future where sustainability becomes self-regulating and fully integrated into business operations. Imagine an operating system for businesses where carbon impact is automatically tracked, modelled, and optimised — no consultants, no lag time, just continuous, intelligent emissions management. AI will act as a business’ sustainability brain, identifying reduction opportunities, forecasting climate-related risks, and enabling proactive, data-driven decisions. 

This is where we’re headed: a world where businesses don’t need to hire experts to tell them what to do because the intelligence is already embedded in how they operate. Climate consultants won’t just advise on compliance — they’ll be driving the next phase of transformation, helping companies rewire their business models to embrace AI-driven, self-optimising sustainability. 

Conclusion: climate consulting isn’t dead — it’s evolving into something bigger 

So, is the role of the climate consultant dead? No. But if consultants remain stuck in their traditional roles, they will become irrelevant. The industry is moving beyond manual reporting toward automated, AI-driven decision-making. The consultants who will thrive are those who embrace this shift — not as a threat, but as an opportunity to do what they set out to do in the first place: make a real difference. 

The question now isn’t whether climate consulting will survive — it’s whether it will deliver the impact it was meant to create.