Top Consulting Firms for Sustainability and ESG (2025)

In this article, we will provide you lists of the top management consulting firms in the practice area of sustainability and ESG. Overall, the top sustainability & ESG consulting firms consist of big names like the MBB and the Big 4.

Read more about the top management consulting firms in general and by practice: Top Management Consulting Firms (2025)

Methodology

Definition

What is sustainability consulting?

Sustainability consulting helps organizations develop and implement strategies to operate in an environmentally responsible and socially conscious way. Consultants assess current practices, identify areas for improvement, and create tailored solutions to reduce environmental impact while supporting business growth.

Projects can cover areas such as carbon reduction, circular economy, sustainable supply chains, responsible sourcing, net-zero transitions and diversity and inclusion. The goal is to embed sustainability into core operations, turning it into a competitive advantage and a driver of long-term success.

What is ESG consulting?

ESG consulting helps organizations integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into their strategies, operations, and reporting. The goal is to improve sustainability, manage risks, meet regulatory requirements, and create long-term value.

ESG consultants assess current practices, develop tailored ESG strategies, guide implementation, and ensure proper reporting and compliance. Their work covers areas such as environmental impact, social responsibility, ethical governance, and sustainable investing.

Some consulting firms offer ESG as a standalone service (such as IBM), while others combine it with broader sustainability consulting (McKinsey, PwC,...)

Source of data

In this article, we use two sources for the rankings - Vault.com and Consultancy.org.

First, you’ll find lists of consulting firms ranked globally in sustainability and ESG consulting. This ranking is based on data from Consultancy.org.

Next, we present lists of top consulting firms in environment sustainability ranked by region. These lists use data from Vault.com.

You can find links to the original sources under each ranking list for further reading.

MConsultingPrep’s database

MConsultingPrep Team have compiled data from the sources above into structured data sheets. In this article, we use those sheets to analyze the rankings and draw comparisons.

You can access the full database here: 2025 Ranking Database of Management Consulting Firms | MConsultingPrep 

Top Sustainability consulting firms in the world (2025) (Consultancy.org)

Methodology:

The top Sustainability consulting firms in the world list presents the globe’s leading consultancy firms specialised in Sustainability, based on Consultancy.org’s unique global database of more than 10 million data points per year of clients and consultants, including expertise and consultancy projects delivered in the area of Sustainability.

Full ranking list:

Original article: Top Sustainability consulting firms in the world 

Top ESG consulting firms in the world (2025) (Consultancy.org)

Methodology:

The top ESG consulting firms in the world list presents the globe’s leading consultancy firms specialised in ESG, based on Consultancy.org’s unique global database of more than 10 million data points per year of clients and consultants, including expertise and consultancy projects delivered in the area of ESG.

Full ranking list:

Original article: Top ESG consulting firms in the world 

Key observations from Consultancy.org - 2025 Top Sustainability and ESG consulting firms in the world

MBB vs. Big Four: What are the overall ranking differences?

Overall performance:

In these two Consultancy’s lists, rankings of Big Four were stable, while those of MBB varied in a wide range.

Mean positions of Big Four firms in the two lists ranged from #3.25 to #5.25. Meanwhile, mean positions of the MBB ranged between #3 and #13.67.

Top #1 position:

Big Four firms took the #1 spot in both lists. In contrast, none of the MBB firms reached the top position in any list.

Top #5 rankings:

Similar to the top #1 position, none of the MBB appeared in the top 5 of the two lists, while the Big Four had their firms within the top 5 in only one.

Top #10 rankings:

The MBB had all of its firms in the top 10 of only one list. Whereas, Big Four firms were in the top 10 of both lists.

A closer look at the MBB firms

Among MBB firms, McKinsey consistently ranked lowest in these two lists. It ranked #7 and #35 in the two lists.

BCG and Bain alternatively ranked first and second among MBB in the two lists. Rankings of BCG were #2 and #4, and those of Bain were #2 and #6.

A closer look at the Big Four firms

In these two lists, PwC always ranked #1.

Except for that, there was no more pattern in the placements of firms within the Big Four group.

Deloitte ranked #4 and #11, KPMG ranked #5 and #3, EY ranked #3 and #6.

A closer look at Accenture

In these two Consultancy’s lists, rankings of Accenture were not high. It ranked #8 and #19 in the two lists.

Top environmental sustainability consulting firms in North America (2025) (Vault.com) 

Methodology:

Vault asked consultants to rank the best firms in several areas of business focus. Consultants were allowed to vote for up to three firms as the best in each area, but could NOT vote for their own firm.

Full ranking list:

Original article: Job Rankings by Environmental Sustainability Consulting - Vault 

Top environmental sustainability consulting firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (2025) (Vault.com) 

Methodology:

Vault asked consultants to rank the best firms in several areas of business focus. Consultants were allowed to vote for up to three firms as the best in each area, but could NOT vote for their own firm.

Full ranking list:

Original article: Best Consulting Firms in EMEA for Environmental Sustainability Consulting 

Top environmental sustainability consulting firms in Asia - Pacific (2025) (Vault.com) 

Methodology:

Vault asked consultants to rank the best firms in several areas of business focus. Consultants were allowed to vote for up to three firms as the best in each area, but could NOT vote for their own firm.

Full ranking list:

Original article: Best Consulting Firms in Asia-Pacific for Environmental Sustainability Consulting 

Key observations from Vault.com - 2025 Best environmental sustainability consulting firms by region

MBB vs. Big Four: What are the overall ranking differences?

Overall performance:

Overall, MBB dominated these three Vault’s ranking lists, and Big Four followed right after.

Across three lists, mean positions of MBB firms were consistently #2. At the same time, mean positions of the Big Four ranged between #5.5 and #6.25.

Top #1 position:

MBB firms took the #1 spot in all Vault’s lists. In contrast, none of the Big Four firms reached the top position in any list.

Top 5 rankings:

All three MBB firms consistently appeared in the top 5 across all three lists, while none of the lists that Big Four had their firms within the top 5. 

Top 10 rankings:

Both MBB and Big Four firms had all their firms in the top 10 of all lists.

A closer look at the MBB firms

MBB firms consistently held the top positions across all three lists.

MBB ranked #1 in one list and ranked #2 in two others.

BCG ranked #1 in two lists and ranked #2 in the remaining.

Bain consistently ranked #3 in all lists.

A closer look at the Big Four firms

Across these three lists, rankings of Big Four firms were always in the range from #4 to #10.

Deloitte claimed the #4 and #5 positions, PwC ranked at #4, #5 and #6. EY’s rankings were #4 or #6.

KPMG consistently ranked lowest among the group. Its best position was #7, the worst was #10 with the mean position at #8.33.

A closer look at Accenture

In these three lists, Accenture’s rankings were not very high, but it consistently remained in the top 10. It was usually ranked above at least one of the Big Four firms or just below them.

In these three lists, Accenture ranked #7 or #8.

Something you should notice…

Don't rely solely on ranking lists

Although the ranking lists above were made by reputable teams with a wide range of data, they don’t always offer the best insights for deciding where you should work. These rankings are often based on the personal preferences of consultants, without a relative or contextual perspective. What one person sees as a strength, another might see as a weakness. 

In that sense, the rankings can be quite subjective.

In addition, overall rankings often lacked nuances. They don’t reflect the specific factors that might matter most to you. That’s why it’s important to look beyond the list.

Key nuances to consider when choosing a workplace

Choosing a company to work for is not about finding the "best" one in general, but about finding the one that fits you best.

Here are some important factors to consider when making your decision:

• Salary, bonuses and other benefits

• Firm culture

• Work - life balance

• Firm's prestige

• etc.

These aspects will have a direct impact on your day-to-day experience, so think carefully about what matters most to you.

We'll be publishing blog posts that dive deeper into these factors for different consulting firms soon. Stay tuned!

Ask consultants for review

One of the most practical ways to identify if that firm is truly the right fit is to directly ask consultants for review. Experiences can vary between firms, and even between different offices of the same firm.

That’s why you should reach out to at least three consultants working in the specific offices you want to apply for. Their perspective will provide you with the most reliable and relevant information to help you make your decisions.

 

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