US environmental and sustainability consulting: SWOT analysis now published

Environment Analyst’s latest Insight Report, US Environmental and Sustainability Consulting Market: SWOT Analysis, is out now. 

Having published the trends and forecasts across service areas and client sectors in our recent US market assessment, this follow-up report discusses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats firms face right now.

From forecasts alone, the US environmental and sustainability (E&S) sector appears shielded from the disruptions that surround it. We recently forecast a 6.8% CAGR for the market out to 2029, well above the IMF’s predictions for the country’s total GDP.  

But the distribution of activity across clients and services is changing. By 2029, our forecasts have the energy and utilities client sector surpassing the government as the biggest spender on E&S consulting.

The IT & communications client sector rose 80% in 2024 and is expected to keep climbing.  

Clients increasingly seek help with risk management, as terms like ESG get repackaged as resilience. And consultants are questioning traditional workflows and pricing models as AI gets smarter by the day.

Against this backdrop, provided by our recently published US market assessment, this Insight Report spotlights the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the market. 

E&S consulting teams in the US exist in a highly mature industry, where established brands retain high market shares – since 2019 the number of firms newly entering the upper echelons of the country’s market is near-zero.  

And the US economy has been reassuringly resilient, with especially high investments coming through for data centres and all that comes with them. 

But US leaders face unique challenges, too. Labour costs are especially high compared with other countries, at a time when SaaS firms are already offering clients quick, cheap alternatives to some projects consultants have traditionally handled.

Further, the US EPA’s budget and workforce have been reduced, causing delays in permitting and delivery for many projects.

Our analyst team dives into specifics in the full report.