With the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) set to take effect on 30 December 2025, companies trading in key commodities are entering a new era of due diligence, bringing with it significant implications for ESG and Sustainability teams. From cocoa to coffee, soy to palm oil, businesses must now prove their supply chains are deforestation-free.
But what does this mean for organisational structure, hiring decisions and the ESG talent market?
As a recruitment firm specialising in ESG and sustainability careers, we’ve been closely tracking how sustainability regulations like the EUDR are driving real-time shifts in corporate hiring priorities. Here's how this landmark law is likely to impact ESG team composition and what businesses should be thinking about now.
The EUDR in brief
The EU Deforestation Regulation will require companies placing certain goods on the EU market to prove they are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation. This includes both imported and EU-produced goods.
Key affected sectors include agriculture and food (e.g. soy, coffee, cocoa, palm oil), timber and paper, leather and rubber.
Operators and traders will be required to conduct strict due diligence, including geolocation tracking and risk assessments, or face hefty penalties and blocked access to the EU market.
What this means for ESG and Sustainability teams
The EUDR represents more than a compliance challenge, it will fundamentally impact sustainability governance, procurement and corporate risk functions within the affected industries.
1. Expansion of ESG Due Diligence functions
Companies will likely need to build or expand due diligence teams with expertise in forest-risk commodities, supply chain traceability and satellite monitoring tools.
Skills in demand: Geospatial data analysts, supply chain sustainability managers, ESG data officers and regulatory compliance specialists are already highly sought-after, in order to fulfil compliance obligations.
2. Closer integration of ESG, Legal, and Procurement
Traditional silos between sustainability, legal, procurement and compliance will need to break down.
We’re already seeing demand for cross-functional ESG risk leaders who can speak the languages of law, logistics and sustainability all at once.
Expect more organisations to appoint EUDR project leads or taskforces, often sitting at the intersection of ESG and supply chain operations.
3. Increased hiring of country and region-specific experts
Since traceability must extend to plot-level origin data, organisations will need people with on-the-ground knowledge of high-risk sourcing regions (e.g. Brazil, Indonesia, Ivory Coast).
We expect to see a steady rise in the hiring of regional ESG analysts, local sustainability consultants and NGO partnership managers.
4. Elevated reporting & disclosure roles
The EUDR includes reporting requirements that demand data accuracy, transparency and defensibility.
This is prompting many companies to invest in ESG reporting officers, often with backgrounds in both sustainability and regulatory frameworks such as CSRD and SFDR.
The Talent Challenge
For companies that haven’t yet started planning, there’s a real risk of being caught short.
Specialist talent is scarce, especially those with expertise in sustainable commodities and supply chain due diligence.
Competition is heating up; not just among corporates, but also consultancies and data providers offering outsourced EUDR solutions.
Firms that move now to upskill internal teams or partner with ESG-focused recruiters will be best placed to comply and compete.
Our Advice to Hiring Managers
- Audit your current ESG capabilities and identify gaps related to traceability, forest-risk exposure and due diligence.
- Don’t limit your search to “ESG” job titles: look for relevant experience in supply chain, data analytics, forestry or satellite mapping.
- Invest in blended teams that combine policy knowledge, data expertise and regional familiarity.
- Work with ESG-specialist recruiters who understand the complexity of regulations like EUDR and have access to niche talent pools.
Looking Ahead
The EUDR is part of a broader wave of mandatory sustainability regulation that is pushing ESG from “nice-to-have” to “must-deliver.” For companies dealing in forest-risk commodities, the challenge is immediate and material.
But with challenge comes opportunity. Businesses that get their teams right today will not only comply with regulation, they’ll gain competitive advantage, build trust and play a real role in halting global deforestation.
If you're looking to hire for EUDR-aligned roles or would like to understand how your ESG team should evolve, please reach out to Adam Bond for an informal chat.
