Acre Insights

Energy & InfrastructureThought Leadership

Co-Authoring Wales’ Clean Energy Investment Prospectus with Net Zero Industry Wales

At Acre, we exist to drive systemic change. Sometimes, it begins with a single conversation.

 

What began as a proposal to support NZIW’s EmpowerCymru conference quickly developed into a broader collaboration focused on unlocking investment for clean energy in Wales. We approached NZIW with the idea of convening a clean energy investment roundtable at the 2025 conference. The aim was to bring the right people together around the right questions and help generate practical momentum in support of Wales’ net zero ambitions.

 

The roundtable convened stakeholders for substantive, focused discussion. Developers, government, investors, advocacy groups and others came together in a room full of intent. A clear message emerged from the session: Wales offers significant opportunity, with a supportive investment environment and an expanding pipeline of investable projects.

 

With over two decades of experience as a trusted partner in clean energy hiring and strategic workforce advisory, we understand that progress towards net zero depends on people as much as projects. Our work focuses on bridging ambition and execution by helping organisations build the teams required to scale climate solutions, often in emerging or under-leveraged markets. This alignment made NZIW’s vision one we were pleased to support and help bring into action.

 

 

A New Coalition

 

Together with NZIW and Amber Energy, we co-created the Clean Energy Investment Summit in Cardiff. The event brought together a broad coalition from across the energy investment ecosystem. The strength of the summit lay in the quality of contribution. Participants were engaged, ambitious, and aligned around a shared view that Wales’ energy future requires a bold, coordinated effort.

 

The room included senior representatives from infrastructure funds, public bodies, utilities, and advisory groups, each contributing insight into what is needed to unlock clean energy investment at scale.

 

 

Introducing: The Clean Energy Investment Prospectus

 

In partnership with NZIW, we have co-authored The Clean Energy Investment Prospectus for Wales, a document that sets out the scale and viability of investable projects across the country. It supports and strengthens the existing Trade & Invest Wales platform, while helping position Wales as a key contributor to the UK’s clean energy transition.

 

Following the summit, we held one-to-one sessions with attendees to test and refine the Prospectus messaging and content, ensuring it reflected shared ambitions rather than individual perspectives.

 

Available in both English and Welsh, the paper increases visibility of Wales’ projects, infrastructure and freeports, while providing investors with clear information and practical guidance. The Prospectus is designed to be updated over time, serving as a living record of opportunity that grows alongside Wales’ progress and continued focus on building its clean energy portfolio.

 

 

 

Why Acre?

 

We are not a policymaker, an infrastructure fund, or a public body. Our strength lies in deep connections to the talent that underpins the net zero economy. Across clean energy, finance, infrastructure and innovation, we have supported the appointment of leaders who shape national strategies, secure transition capital, and deliver the systems that turn policy into action.

 

In Wales, the opportunity is clear. Realising it depends on aligning investment with the capability to deliver. Acre plays a practical role here, acting as a connector, convenor and trusted advisor to those building the teams and ecosystems needed to deliver net zero.

 

 

What’s Next?

 

We are proud of the Prospectus and even more proud of the coalition that brought it together. The work, however, is just beginning. The next step is to amplify its reach by sharing this gateway document with investors, developers and policymakers who can help drive the next phase of Wales’ clean energy journey.

 

We encourage you to read, share and, most importantly, act on it.

 

Interested in joining the conversation or learning more?
You can download the full Clean Energy Investment Prospectus for Wales here. To speak directly with Acre or Net Zero Industry Wales, get in touch at:

 

info@nziw.wales

ac@acre.com or georgina.sell@acre.com 

Resources

10 Market Predictions for 2026

This forecast is grounded in ongoing conversations with our clients and candidates across the US sustainability market. It reflects what organizations are hiring for, where candidates are seeing momentum, and how priorities are shifting on the ground. While the focus here is on the United States, many of these themes will feel familiar globally. Capital flows, regulation, technology, and talent markets are increasingly interconnected, even when local conditions differ. 

 

What follows is a concise view of the forces most likely to shape sustainability recruitment in 2026, and where hiring demand will concentrate. 

 

1. Circular Economy Moves into Execution 

In the US, the circular economy is moving out of concept mode and into delivery. With projections pointing towards a trillion-dollar scale by 2030, employers are prioritizing operational capability. 

Hiring demand is strongest around supply chains, resource efficiency, packaging, textiles, and Extended Producer Responsibility, particularly as state-level regulation accelerates. 

 

Further reading: 

Oliver Wyman on circular economy solutions, the Circularity Gap Report 2025, and analysis of global EPR and circular economy trends. 

 

2. Energy Transition Sustains Long-Term Hiring 

The US energy transition continues at an uneven pace, shaped by infrastructure constraints, regional policy, and grid reliability concerns. 

Investment in renewables, grid modernization, and energy security is keeping hiring resilient, especially as electricity demand rises and system complexity increases. 

 

Further reading: 

The IEA’s State of Energy Innovation 2025 and Reuters coverage on rising US power demand. 

 

3. Technology Continues to Shape Sustainability Roles 

US-based organizations are embedding AI, robotics, biotech, and advanced analytics across sustainability functions at speed. 

Hiring demand favours professionals who can connect technical innovation with commercial outcomes, particularly in investor-facing or growth-stage environments. 

 

Further reading: 

PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2025 and the World Economic Forum on technology reshaping private equity. 

 

4. Private Capital Expands Its Impact Focus 

US private equity and private debt markets are showing deeper interest in sustainability-linked investments, with growing attention on natural capital, biodiversity, water, and emerging markets exposure. 

This is driving demand for talent that understands capital structures, risk, and impact measurement. 

 

Further reading: 

The World Economic Forum on finance solutions for nature and PitchBook’s Q3 2025 global private market fundraising report. 

 

5. Delivery Skills Overtake Strategy-Only Roles 

 

Across the US market, sustainability hiring is moving closer to execution. 

Organizations are prioritizing go-to-market capability, EHS and compliance expertise, and candidates with a record of commercial delivery rather than strategy development alone. 

 

Further reading: 

IFC research on sustainability reporting moving from compliance to strategy and LinkedIn analysis on the growing demand for GTM engineers. 

 

6. Governance Regains Prominence 

US companies scaling AI and first-of-a-kind technologies are facing growing pressure around governance, ethics, and accountability. 

This is increasing demand for policy, regulatory, and risk professionals, often sitting between sustainability, legal, and technology teams. 

 

Further reading: 

Harvard Law School on AI risk disclosures and EY’s Technology Risk Pulse Survey 2025. 

 

7. Privacy and Cybersecurity Gain Strategic Weight 

Rising cyber risk, data exposure, and regulatory scrutiny are elevating privacy and security within US sustainability and risk agendas. 

Hiring growth is concentrated around digital trust, data governance, and cyber resilience. 

 

Further reading: 

EY’s Technology Risk Pulse Survey 2025 and PwC’s Digital Trust Insights. 

 

8. Changing Age Dynamics in Sustainability Teams 

US sustainability teams are becoming more generationally diverse as Gen Z enters the workforce, retirement ages rise, and family priorities shape career decisions. 

This is influencing hiring models, benefits, junior pipelines, and leadership expectations. 

 

Further reading: 

Deloitte’s Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2025 and LSE analysis on generational diversity at work. 

 

9. In-Person Connection Remains Valuable 

Despite continued investment in digital tools, US-based clients and candidates consistently emphasize the value of in-person connection. 

Travel, events, and face-to-face relationship building remain central to senior hiring, BD, and partnership-driven roles. 

 

Further reading: 

Engine on the rebound of business travel and Reuters reporting on return-to-office mandates. 

 

10. Existential Thinking among the Workforce 

 

As technology develops exponentially and we find ourselves more obviously living within the “Age of Information,” political and class divisions become more obvious, and we continue to grapple with the uncertainty of climate change, many people will begin to wonder and share their sentiments on what truly matters and what humanity’s stake in all this really is.  

Anticipate discussions around authenticity and human roles while keeping AI in its place, pushback on the shifting boundaries and compensation of impact-driven work between for-profit and non-profit businesses, and subtle changes in cultural and generational beliefs.  

 

Further reading:
Pew Research Center on Workers’ views of AI use in the workplace.

 

Closing View 

This forecast reflects what we are seeing in the US sustainability hiring market today. Many of these dynamics will translate globally, even where regulatory frameworks or capital markets differ. 

Across regions, the direction of travel is consistent. Execution, governance, and commercial credibility are shaping who gets hired, and who stays relevant, as sustainability moves deeper into the core of business. 

If you are interested in specific information on compensation, profiles, or your industry competitors, please get in touch: usa@acre.com