The 2025 Outlook on Sustainable Development explores a market that emphasizes the growing awareness of the global community regarding environmental and socio-economic issues. The report highlights the sector’s dynamic growth, diverse workforce, and investments from key stakeholders. It also provides insights into sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, and geospatial analytics through firmographic data.
The report was last updated in January 2025.
This sustainable development report serves as a reference for stakeholders within the industry, investors, policymakers, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and economic analysts, providing a snapshot of the industry’s health to map its trajectory for innovation and growth in the coming years.
Executive Summary: Sustainable Development Outlook 2025
- Industry Growth Overview: The sustainable development market experienced a 9.24% growth rate last year with over 7100 companies involved. The green technology and sustainability market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5%.
- Manpower & Employment Growth: The industry employs over 710 000 workers globally. There was an employee growth of 42 000 new jobs in the last year. In 2023, renewable energy jobs reached a record 16.2 million worldwide, an 18% increase from 2022.
- Patents & Grants: Companies within the sector have secured more than 2040 patents, while over 560 grants have been awarded. This underscores strong support for sustainable initiatives.
- Global Footprint: Key country hubs include the US, India, the UK, France, and Canada. Major city hubs feature London, New York City, Singapore, Vernon, and New Delhi.
- Investment Landscape: The average investment value per funding round stands at USD 51 million. The industry has attracted over 430 investors and closed more than 1100 funding rounds.
- Top Investors: Major investors include the International Finance Corporation, European Investment Bank, Rabobank, and more, with a combined investment value exceeding USD 600 million.
- Startup Ecosystem: Highlights include five innovative startups such as myotwin (Human Heart Muscle Digital Twin), enim (Metal Revalorization from Circuit Boards), Orbify (Natural Assets Intelligence), INPROTIN (Insect-based Nutrition Solutions), and Paragon Impact (Impact Management SDG Grading System)
Methodology: How we Created this Sustainable Development Report
This report is based on proprietary data from our AI-powered Discovery Platform, which tracks 25 million global companies, 20K+ technologies and trends as well as 110M patents and business reports. Our data includes detailed firmographic insights into approximately 5 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies. Leveraging this extensive database, we provide actionable insights on innovation, emerging technologies, and market trends.
For this report, we focused on the evolution of sustainable development over the past 5 years, utilizing our platform’s trend intelligence feature. Key data points analyzed include:
- Total Companies working on the trend
- News Coverage and Annual Growth
- Market Maturity and Patents
- Global Search Volume & Growth
- Funding Activity and Top Countries
- Subtrends within the sustainable development sector
Our data is refreshed regularly, enabling trend comparisons for deeper insights into their relative impact and importance.
Additionally, we reviewed trusted external resources to supplement our findings with broader market data and predictions, ensuring a reliable and comprehensive overview of the sustainable development market.
What Data is used to create this Sustainable Development Report?
Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the sustainable development industry ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database.
These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the industry’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the industry.
- News Coverage & Publications: The industry gained wide news coverage with over 31 000 publications last year.
- Funding Rounds: There are over 1100 funding rounds recorded in our database. This shows strong investor interest in sustainable development initiatives.
- Manpower: Globally, the industry employs 710 000 workers and added over 42 000 new jobs in the past year. In the US, hiring in renewables has grown to twice the level of hiring in fossil fuels.
- Patents: Companies secured 2040 patents, which reflects high levels of innovation.
- Grants: The industry also received 560 grants. This emphasizes support from various funding bodies.
- Yearly Global Search Growth: The annual global search growth for sustainable development is 10.3%. This further indicates the rising public interest.
Explore the Data-driven Global Sustainable Development Report for 2025
Our database includes 4200+ startups and over 7100 companies that reflect industry participation. Over the past year, the industry experienced 9.24% growth. This showcases steady expansion. Further, the companies within the sector secured more than 2040 patents and over 560 grants.
The sustainability development market is set to grow at a CAGR of 22.94% between 2025 and 2034 and reach USD 185.21 in 2034.
Credit: Precedence Research
The global workforce in this industry exceeds 710 000 individuals, with employee growth in the last year adding over 42 000 jobs. China leads with over 7 million green jobs, followed by the EU (1.81 million), Brazil (1.57 million), the US (1.06 million), and India (1.02 million).
Major country hubs include the US, India, UK, France, and Canada, while top city hubs feature London, New York City, Singapore, Vernon, and New Delhi. This provides an overview of the sustainable development landscape and demonstrates its growth and innovative capacity.
A Snapshot of the Global Sustainable Development Industry
The sustainable development industry shows strong growth and active investment. It employs over 710 000 people and added 42 000 new employees in the past year worldwide.
The industry includes more than 7100 companies, which reflects a diverse ecosystem committed to sustainable initiatives.
Explore the Funding Landscape of the Sustainable Development
Investment in this sector remains strong. The average investment value per round is USD 51.1 million. Over 430 investors have actively participated in more than 1100 funding rounds.
This further demonstrates strong financial support and confidence in sustainable development ventures. Moreover, more than 460 companies have secured investments, highlighting the widespread impact of funding within this space.
Who is Investing in the Sustainable Development Sector?
The sustainable development market has attracted financial backing from the top investors, who have contributed to a combined value of over USD 600 million. Here’s the investment details:
- International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested USD 152.5 million in three companies. Further, IFC’s climate investment portfolio has reached USD 13 billion, with a focus on wind and solar projects globally.
- European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed USD 125.1 million to two companies. It has also invested largely in large-scale solar power projects in Croatia.
- Rabobank has invested USD 123.7 million in three companies. Rabobank partnered with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to create the AGRI3 fund, which will be a source of USD 1 billion fund for sustainable agriculture investments.
- Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has contributed USD 61.5 million to two companies. It also partnered with NIIF to launch a USD 600 million fund for sustainable projects.
- BMO Capital Markets has invested USD 58.4 million in two companies. It acted as joint lead manager for a landmark USD 8 billion sustainable development bond issued by the World Bank for pandemic relief.
- Societe Generale has committed USD 56.3 million to two companies. It has been investing in renewable projects in EMEA region for over 20 years now.
- Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries has invested USD 27.8 million in three companies. It has invested in renewable projects including power producers, captive power systems, mini-grids, and stand-alone solar systems.
- Audacia has contributed USD 2.6 million to two companies. Expansion SLP, a venture capital fund from Audacia, invested USD 141 million in sustainable developments in the aerospace and defense sectors.
Access Top Sustainable Development Innovations & Trends with the Discovery Platform
Explore the growing trends in sustainable development along with the firmographic data:
- Sustainable Agriculture is a key trend in sustainable development and has over 2600 companies. These companies collectively employ 174 000 individuals and highlight the substantial workforce dedicated to advancing sustainable farming practices. Over the last year, the sector saw the addition of 15 000+ new employees. Further, its annual trend growth rate stands at 9.24%.
- Climate Change Mitigation remains a critical focus within sustainable development. Over 1200 companies are involved in this trend. These organizations employ 95 000+ individuals and added 8000+ new employees in the past year. Moreover, the annual trend growth rate for climate change mitigation is 11.75%.
- Geospatial Analytics is an emerging trend in sustainable development that has 451 companies. These companies employ 15 000+ individuals and added 2000+ new employees in the last year. The annual trend growth rate for geospatial analytics is 16.27%. This rapid expansion shows the increasing reliance on geospatial data for informed decision-making.
5 Top Examples from 4200+ Innovative Sustainable Development Startups
The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a platform demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.
myotwin builds a Human Heart Muscle Digital Twin
German startup myotwin develops an excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) measurement system for recording electrophysiology, calcium oscillation, and contractility. This system provides insights into the impact of novel substances on human heart muscle functionality.
This non-invasive measurement enables sterile long-term analysis for several months and ensures high reproducibility. myotwin’s platform also supports efficacy and toxicity testing during the preclinical research stage. This reduces the risk of potential drug-induced side effects in later clinical phases.
enim revalorizes Metals from Circuit Boards
Canadian startup enim develops a solution for revalorizing metals in printed circuits. The process begins with shredding circuit boards to facilitate metal handling and harvesting.
Initial harvest involves washing cycles of increasing intensity to collect various metals. Next, the plastics processing removes plastics to optimize extraction and maximize precious metal valorization.
The final harvest uses a wash to extract gold and other precious metals as ingots, without cyanide or mercury. The reintegration involves returning collected metals like gold, copper, silver, palladium, lead, and tin into the closed-loop production chain.
Orbify offers Natural Assets Intelligence
Polish startup Orbify develops a data platform for ESG and sustainable development. The platform supports the environmental component calculation of ESG Risk Ratings. Its AI-powered remote sensing analyzes key natural asset attributes like vegetation, soil, air, and water quality.
Businesses define project areas or supplier land plots and upload field data. The platform provides insights into the collected data and generates reports. Orbify’s technology enhances the accuracy and efficiency of environmental assessments.
INPROTIN develops Insect-based Nutrition Solutions
Guatemalan startup INPROTIN makes NUPROGIN FRASS, a natural and sustainable insect-based fertilizer for flowers, plants, vegetables, lawns, and soil care. This fertilizer contains Chitin, a natural biostimulant that enhances plant growth and immune systems.
The application of insect frass to agricultural land supports the circular economy by reintroducing nutrients and organic matter into soils.
Paragon Impact provides an Impact Management SDG Grading System
UK startup Paragon Impact offers Paragon +Grading, a tool that guides businesses through a standardized methodology for assessing ESG and SDG impacts. It quantifies the scale, magnitude, and duration of impacts to provide detailed analysis.
Further, its weighted algorithms create personalized and comparable performance results. Paragon Impact’s tool integrates the ESG and impact standards into a consolidated system and ensures compliance with growing regulations.
Gain Comprehensive Insights into Sustainable Development Trends, Startups, or Technologies
The 2025 Sustainable Development Outlook shows that the market is achieving progress despite global challenges. The growth in key areas such as sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, and geospatial analytics highlights its role in promoting transformative change. Reach out to us to explore all 4200+ startups and scaleups, as well as all industry trends impacting companies working to advance sustainable development globally.
