Climate17

What Climate17 does

Climate17 is a purpose-driven international recruitment consultancy founded in 2018 by David Blake and Tom Wolsey, both renewable energy and sustainability recruitment veterans. The firm provides specialist talent acquisition services placing professionals across renewable energy development (solar, wind, energy storage), corporate sustainability, ESG, and energy efficiency — serving enterprise clients ranging from early-stage developers to multinational corporations. It operates three packaged service lines: Talent Audit (a diagnostic covering hiring processes, compensation, employer brand, and AI integration advice), Talent Engine (an embedded recruitment solution that delivers immediate hires while building long-term hiring infrastructure), and Impact Search (end-to-end executive search for mission-critical leadership appointments). Underlying its delivery is a proprietary 30-step recruitment methodology and a recruitment CRM that organises passive-candidate talent communities by region and US state, with roughly 80% of placements drawn from passive candidates not actively job-seeking.

The business monetises through professional services — contingency and retained search placement fees — supplemented by Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) engagements that function as managed services. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per engagement rather than publicly disclosed, reflecting the bespoke nature of senior and executive placements. Climate17 is B Corp certified with a score of 117.6 (well above the 80 passing threshold), audited bi-annually — a credential that few recruitment peers hold and one that anchors its brand differentiation in the climate-aligned talent market. The firm merged with Valencia-based Eolo Renewables in October 2022 to enter Spain, LATAM, France, and Italy, and now operates from a sustainable Bournemouth headquarters with regional teams across the UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

Climate17's go-to-market is consultative and sales-led: dedicated sector specialists (e.g., VP Renewable Energy USA, Associate Director Sustainability UK, regional managers in Spain) engage enterprise clients directly through retained and exclusive search assignments, supported by content marketing, an 18.4M-follower LinkedIn presence, and event sponsorships (Edie Sustainability Leaders Forum, Reuters Events, Solar Media). The company cites an average 50% year-over-year revenue growth over the past four years, a 100% fill rate on exclusive/retained assignments, and 206 candidate placements facilitated in 2021 — with 33 employees across 3 offices and local support in additional regions. The firm is privately held, founder-owned with no disclosed external venture or private equity backing, and maintains a 100% staff retention rate historically.

Name

Climate17

Legal name

Climate17

Website

https://climate17.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Climate17 is a purpose-driven international recruitment consultancy placing professionals across renewable energy, sustainability, and ESG functions for enterprise clients in the UK, USA, and Europe, delivered through talent audit, executive search, and embedded recruitment services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Services / Executive Search

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

Keywords

• Renewable energy recruitment
• Sustainability talent acquisition
• Executive search
• Clean energy staffing
• Talent consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Pavlovo Pole

HQ country

Ukraine

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement/Recruitment: Contingency and retained search placement fees for placing candidates in permanent positions across renewable energy and sustainability sectors. Clients range from startups to multinational corporations seeking talent from junior consultant to executive level.
2. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Structured talent acquisition solutions where Climate17 manages significant recruitment projects for clients, providing end-to-end hiring services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Climate17 is a specialist international recruitment consultancy that places candidates into renewable energy and sustainability roles for corporate clients. Its core offerings are three service lines: Talent Audit (a diagnostic review of hiring needs, team structure, and employer brand), Talent Engine (an embedded, ongoing recruitment partnership acting as an extension of the client's talent team), and Impact Search (executive and senior-level retained search for leadership and specialist roles).

Product overview

Climate17 is a purpose-driven, international Renewable Energy & Sustainability recruitment consultancy offering three core talent solutions: Talent Audit (a diagnostic service for hiring approach assessment), Talent Engine (an embedded recruitment solution for immediate and long-term hiring needs), and Impact Search (executive search for leadership appointments). The company specializes in placing professionals across renewable energy (solar, wind, energy storage) and sustainability/ESG sectors. Following a 2022 merger with Eolo Renewables, the firm expanded its geographic footprint to include Spain, LATAM, France, and Italy alongside its UK and US operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Talent Audit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% fill rate on all exclusive assignments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Eolo RenewablescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2022Climate17 merged with Valencia-based Eolo Renewables in October 2022. The merger expanded Climate17's international presence, adding capabilities across Spain, LATAM, France, and Italy. Carlos Soria Villegas (Managing Director of Eolo) joined the Climate17 board to head the international arm. The combined entity employed 28 people across Bournemouth and Valencia offices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allen & York: International recruitment consultancy with a dedicated sustainability, environmental, and clean energy practice, comparable to Climate17 in serving ESG and renewable energy clients with retained and contingent search services.
• Maxim Recruitment: Boutique recruitment consultancy with sustainability, ESG, and built-environment environment practices, competing with Climate17 for sustainability and clean energy mandates, particularly across UK and international markets.
• Acre: Acre is a specialist sustainability and ESG recruitment consultancy, directly competing with Climate17 for the same purpose-driven corporate sustainability and climate talent pool, with similar retained search and advisory offerings.
• The Green Recruitment Company: Specialist renewable energy and clean tech recruitment firm focused on wind, solar, and energy storage placements across Europe and North America, directly competing with Climate17's core renewable energy recruitment practice.
• Acre Resources: Specialist clean energy and sustainability search firm placing senior leadership and technical talent across the energy transition, directly comparable to Climate17's Impact Search and Renewable Energy practices.

Emerging players

• Cielo: Talent acquisition partner offering RPO and embedded recruitment solutions including renewable energy engagements; comparable to Climate17's Talent Engine product and a potential competitor for managed recruitment services.

Broad incumbents

• Michael Page: Large global recruitment firm with a clean energy and sustainability desk, providing broad incumbent competition to Climate17's specialist renewable energy placements while offering much wider sector coverage.
• Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm with sustainability and energy practice coverage, providing broad incumbent competition to Climate17's ESG and renewable energy recruitment services across multiple geographies.
• Robert Walters: International professional recruitment group with energy and sustainability coverage, comparable to Climate17 for senior and executive renewable energy mandates but operating as part of a much larger cross-industry portfolio.
• Hays: Global generalist recruitment firm with a dedicated renewable energy and clean energy practice, competing with Climate17 for enterprise renewable energy mandates while serving a much broader cross-sector portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Climate17rec
• Facebookfacebook.com/climate17

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Climate17