More public and private organizations are employing sustainability practitioners, making the profession a fast-growing new job class that is helping organizations become greener, according to a new report published by the McGraw Hill Financial Global Institute. The report, “Managing Organizational Sustainability: Demonstrating the Business Case for Sustainability Professionals in the Workplace,” was written by authors from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council and provides a preliminary exploration of the relationship between sustainability professionals and performance, as well as the opportunities, challenges and suggestions for future research.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people employed in the “green goods and services” field increased over 5 percent from 2010 to 2011, reaching more than 3.4 million. “Initiatives that align the business case with environmental performance are the holy grail of sustainability program success,” said Anisa Baldwin Metzger, who helped author the report and leads school district sustainability for the Center for Green Schools at USGBC.

Also, the full press release is available.