The green transition is not one-size-fits-all. Each sector faces unique operational realities, regulatory pressures and market dynamics that shape how the shifts towards sustainable production, consumption and investment unfolds.
Cedefop has interviewed representatives in four companies to understand how industries are adapting green practices to their specific contexts—and why understanding these differences matters for skills development.
Sector realities drive different approaches
The path to sustainability varies considerably between different sectors, because of the unique features of fundamental business models and the different constraints companies face.
Retail battles consumer cost sensitivity: while customer preferences shift toward sustainable products, many remain reluctant to pay higher prices. The sporting goods sector navigates low profit margins and high waste generation by pursuing:
- Smart financing solutions for profitable circularity
- New business models around repair and second-hand products
- Consumer education as an essential complement to product innovation
Food processing leverages proximity to reduce its environmental footprint: environmental factors heavily influence operations, from water consumption to pesticide use. The company's strategic decision to locate near growing grounds and to consider the supply chain demonstrates sector-specific thinking:
- 95% of raw materials is sourced within a 80km radius, reducing transport emissions
- Satellite monitoring and AI systems help farmers in the food processing company’s supply chain adopt precision agriculture
- Motor engineering responds to regulatory pressure: unlike consumer-facing sectors, environmental legislation drives transformation more than market demand. The company's evolution from engine supplier to comprehensive system provider shows how progressing regulation reshapes entire industries:
- Strategic shift to electric, hybrid and hydrogen-based engines
- Business model evolving from product sales to energy-as-a-service
- New teams explore business models inspired by policy developments
Waste management transforms public service delivery: the company Cedefop interviewed, which serves one million inhabitants, demonstrates how sustainability can redefine public sector missions. The shift from waste treatment to resource creation reflects changing regulatory and social expectations and led to:
- The development of 100% circular products like soil improver and recycled plastic bins
- A data centre tracking waste flows to design targeted awareness campaigns
- Communication with citizens becoming central to business success
Policy frameworks create distinct pathways
EU legislation shapes each sector differently, creating tailored pressures and opportunities. The Law against waste and for Circular Economy has affected retail design and logistics, and pressured the sporting goods company to rethink all processes - from materials sourcing to customer return programs. The Green Deal Industrial Plan has driven innovation in the motor engineering company and set in motion a transition towards renewable energy solutions, particularly hydrogen deployment and energy grid transformation.
The REPowerEU Plan has accelerated this shift by stimulating fossil-free alternatives. For the motor engineering company, these policies don't just regulate—they create new market opportunities in clean energy systems and sustainable mobility solutions.
Sector-specific skills emerge
Cedefop case studies in four companies show that different approaches to greening create distinct workforce needs. Retail requires expertise in circular design and sustainable financing, food processing needs agricultural technology skills, motor engineering demands knowledge of alternative energy systems and waste management requires innovation and public communication capabilities.
VET systems must recognise these contextual differences. Generic green skills training alone cannot meet diverse sectoral needs—programmes and curricula must reflect regulation, business models and specific operational realities on the ground. Building Europe's Union of Skills requires understanding that each sector's green transition follows its own distinct learning and skilling pathway.
