What Does a Chief Sustainability Officer Do? 8 Key Roles & Responsibilities

The business world is undergoing a rapid shift in how organizations approach environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities. At the center of this shift is the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), a strategic leader whose remit now goes far beyond traditional environmental compliance.

According to the Forbes Research 2025 State of Sustainability Survey, 79% of companies with more than US$500 million in annual revenue now have a CSO, based on responses from over 1,100 global executives. A separate global study by Strategy& (PwC) found that more CSOs were hired in 2021 than in the previous five years combined, clear evidence that this role has moved into the mainstream of corporate leadership.

“The ESG transformation is now visible in the economy, as the prevalence of CSOs underlines. Of course, the creation of the role is only a first step: CSOs need to be given the right position, mandate, and resources to drive the integration of sustainability in the corporate strategy and all business functions.”

“The ESG transformation is now visible in the economy, as the prevalence of CSOs underlines. Of course, the creation of the role is only a first step: CSOs need to be given the right position, mandate, and resources to drive the integration of sustainability in the corporate strategy and all business functions."

Peter Gassmann

Senior Partner at Strategy

As expectations rise from investors, regulators, customers, and employees, the CSO is no longer a peripheral adviser. The role has become a core strategic function that shapes business performance, drives regulatory readiness, and builds long-term resilience, turning sustainability from a marketing narrative into measurable, enterprise-wide change.

What is a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)?

A Chief Sustainability Officer is a C-suite executive responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive sustainability strategies that align environmental, social, and governance objectives with core business operations. According to the US Green Building Council, the CSO facilitates the development of organization or community-wide sustainability goals and oversees the execution of plans, policies, programs, and practices aimed at achieving them.

Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility roles that often operated on the periphery of business strategy, today’s CSO functions as a strategic business partner who reports directly to the CEO and board of directors. 96% of CSOs report directly to the chief executive officer or board of directors, positioning them at the highest levels of organizational decision-making.

The Evolution of the CSO Role

The CSO role has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. What began as an entrepreneurial position focused primarily on environmental compliance has evolved into a multifaceted leadership role encompassing:

• Strategic business integration rather than isolated environmental initiatives
• Financial accountability with direct P&L impact and ROI expectations
• Cross-functional collaboration spanning operations, finance, supply chain, HR, and marketing
• Stakeholder management involving investors, regulators, customers, employees, and communities
• Innovation leadership driving sustainable product development and circular economy models

The shift reflects broader market dynamics: companies face intensifying regulatory requirements, investors increasingly factor ESG performance into capital allocation decisions, and consumers demonstrate growing preference for sustainable brands. In this context, the CSO serves as both guardian of corporate responsibility and architect of competitive advantage.

Core Roles and Responsibilities of a CSO

The Chief Sustainability Officer’s mandate encompasses eight critical responsibility areas, as identified by Harvard Business Review research:

1. Developing and Implementing Sustainability Strategy

The CSO’s foremost responsibility is crafting a comprehensive sustainability strategy that aligns with business objectives while addressing environmental and social imperatives. This involves:

• Conducting materiality assessments to identify priority ESG issues
• Setting ambitious yet achievable short, medium, and long-term sustainability targets
• Integrating sustainability metrics into business planning and decision-making frameworks
• Ensuring alignment between sustainability initiatives and the overall corporate strategy

In practice: The CSO must translate abstract sustainability concepts into concrete business plans with measurable outcomes, timelines, and accountability structures. This includes developing roadmaps for achieving commitments like carbon neutrality, waste reduction, circular economy implementation, and social equity advancement.

31% of organizations now place CSOs in a lead role for sustainability strategy, up from 15% in 2024.

2. Ensuring Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

With sustainability regulations multiplying globally, CSOs bear responsibility for:

• Monitoring evolving regulatory landscapes across jurisdictions
• Ensuring compliance with environmental, social, and governance reporting requirements
• Identifying and mitigating sustainability-related risks (climate, reputational, operational)
• Preparing organizations for emerging regulations before they become mandatory

79% of CSOs report that balancing regulatory compliance with broader sustainability goals is now a primary responsibility, reflecting the increasing complexity of the regulatory environment.

3. ESG Reporting and Transparency

The CSO oversees the collection, analysis, and public disclosure of sustainability performance data:

• Implementing robust data management systems for ESG metrics
• Producing annual sustainability reports aligned with frameworks like GRI, SASB, or TCFD
• Ensuring accuracy, completeness, and auditability of sustainability data
• Communicating progress transparently to investors, customers, and other stakeholders

Stakeholder demands for transparency continue intensifying, with investors increasingly using ESG data to inform capital allocation decisions and customers scrutinizing corporate sustainability claims to avoid greenwashing.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Change Management

Sustainability transformation requires organization-wide participation. The CSO must:

• Build and maintain relationships across all business functions
• Collaborate with operations teams to reduce environmental footprints
• Partner with supply chain leaders to ensure sustainable sourcing
• Work with HR to integrate sustainability into corporate culture and employee engagement
• Align with marketing on authentic sustainability communications

68% of CSOs report heightened need for seamless collaboration between sustainability, legal, finance, and operations departments, underscoring the cross-functional nature of modern sustainability leadership.

5. Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

The CSO serves as the primary interface between the organization and external sustainability stakeholders:

• Engaging with investors on ESG performance and strategy
• Responding to customer inquiries about product sustainability
• Partnering with NGOs and community organizations on social initiatives
• Representing the company at sustainability forums and conferences
• Building coalitions with industry peers to advance sector-wide sustainability standards

Effective stakeholder engagement requires diplomatic skills, the ability to navigate competing interests, and fluency in communicating sustainability concepts to diverse audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge.

6. Innovation and Sustainable Product Development

Leading CSOs drive innovation by:

• Championing sustainable product design and development processes
• Promoting circular economy principles (reduce, reuse, recycle, regenerate)
• Identifying opportunities for sustainable business model innovation
• Investing in clean technologies and renewable energy solutions
• Fostering partnerships with startups and innovators in the sustainability space

This responsibility connects directly to revenue growth and market differentiation, as sustainable products increasingly capture market share and command premium pricing.

7. Budget Management and Resource Allocation

CSOs increasingly control significant budgets to fund sustainability initiatives:

• Developing business cases for sustainability investments
• Allocating resources across competing sustainability priorities
• Tracking return on investment for sustainability programs
• Securing additional funding as needed to meet ambitious targets

93% of CSOs expect increased sustainability budgets in the next 12 months, reflecting growing organizational commitment and the business case for sustainability investment.

8. Building Organizational Culture and Capability

Beyond strategy and execution, CSOs must cultivate a culture where sustainability becomes embedded in organizational DNA:

• Designing and implementing sustainability training programs for employees at all levels
• Developing change management strategies to drive behavior transformation
• Recruiting and developing talent with sustainability expertise
• Recognizing and rewarding employees who contribute to sustainability goals
• Transforming sustainability from a compliance exercise into a source of employee pride and engagement

Organizations succeed at sustainability when it transitions from an executive mandate to a shared organizational identity, a transformation the CSO must orchestrate through effective change management approaches.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

Success as a Chief Sustainability Officer requires a unique combination of technical expertise, business acumen, and leadership capabilities.

Educational Background

Most CSOs hold advanced degrees that combine environmental knowledge with business understanding:

1. Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, engineering, business administration, or related fields
2. Master’s degree or MBA with a sustainability concentration is increasingly common
   
   • Master’s in Sustainability Management
   • MBA with ESG or Sustainability track
   • Master’s in Environmental Management
   • Master’s in Public Policy with an environmental focus

Recent role analyses suggest that many sitting CSOs now hold master’s degrees or MBAs with sustainability concentrations. These programs build expertise in stakeholder capitalism, circular economy models, and climate finance. They also strengthen the financial modelling skills CSOs need to justify sustainability investments to CFOs.

Note on flexibility: While advanced education strengthens credibility, there is no strictly mandated educational path. Some successful CSOs bring deep operational experience combined with demonstrated commitment to sustainability rather than formal credentials.

Professional Certifications

Relevant certifications enhance credibility and demonstrate expertise:

• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification
• GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) certification
• SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) credentials
• Carbon accounting and climate science certifications
• Supply chain sustainability certifications

Core Competencies

Strategic Business Acumen

The CSO must understand how businesses create value and integrate sustainability into core business models rather than treating it as a separate initiative. This includes:

• Financial literacy and ROI analysis
• Understanding of business operations and value chains
• Strategic planning and execution capabilities
• Competitive analysis and market dynamics

As Todd Fein, CEO of Green Diamond, LLC, notes: 

“This job is half diplomat, half warrior. This is a strategic role. Many companies are still trying to figure out what a CSO lookslike for their mission."

Todd Fein

CEO at Green Diamond

Leadership and Influence

CSOs must lead without always having direct authority over the functions they seek to influence:

• Visionary leadership that inspires organizational transformation
• Influence-based leadership to drive change across silos
• Emotional intelligence to navigate complex stakeholder relationships
• Change management expertise to overcome resistance

Communication and Stakeholder Management

The ability to communicate complex sustainability concepts to diverse audiences is essential:

• Translating scientific and technical information for non-experts
• Crafting compelling narratives that connect sustainability to business value
• Engaging authentically with skeptical stakeholders
• Managing expectations while maintaining credibility

Analytical and Data Management Skills

Modern sustainability leadership is data-driven:

• ESG data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Life cycle assessment and carbon accounting
• Materiality assessment methodologies
• Performance metrics and KPI development

Regulatory and Compliance Expertise

CSOs must navigate increasingly complex regulatory landscapes:

• Understanding global sustainability regulations and frameworks
• Anticipating regulatory trends and preparing organizations proactively
• Ensuring compliance while pursuing aspirational goals beyond minimum requirements

Systems Thinking

Sustainability challenges are inherently systemic, requiring CSOs to:

• Understand interdependencies across environmental, social, and economic systems
• Identify leverage points for maximum impact
• Anticipate unintended consequences
• Design holistic solutions rather than piecemeal fixes

Essential vs. Differentiating CSO Competencies

Strategic Impact: How CSOs Drive Business Value

Chief Sustainability Officers create value across multiple dimensions, transforming sustainability from a cost center into a strategic asset.

Risk Mitigation and Resilience

CSOs identify and mitigate sustainability-related risks before they materialize:

• Climate Risk Management: Assessing physical risks (extreme weather, resource scarcity) and transition risks (policy changes, market shifts) to operations and supply chains.
• Reputational Risk Protection: Preventing greenwashing accusations and brand damage through authentic sustainability practices.
• Regulatory Risk Reduction: Staying ahead of compliance requirements to avoid fines and disruptions.
• Supply Chain Resilience: Building sustainable, diversified supply chains less vulnerable to disruption.

According to EY’s Global Risk Survey, two-thirds of boards believe that being environmentally sustainable is integral to the resilience of the business.

Revenue Growth and Market Differentiation

Sustainability creates competitive advantages that drive top-line growth:

• Sustainable Product Innovation: Developing products that meet growing consumer demand for sustainability, often commanding premium prices.
• Market Access: Meeting sustainability requirements to access procurement opportunities with large corporations and governments.
• Brand Strength: Building brand equity through authentic sustainability commitments that resonate with conscious consumers.
• Investor Attraction: Appealing to the growing pool of ESG-focused capital seeking sustainable investment opportunities.

Operational Efficiency and Cost Reduction

Many sustainability initiatives deliver immediate operational benefits:

• Energy Efficiency: Reducing energy consumption lowers costs while decreasing carbon footprint.
• Waste Reduction: Minimizing waste cuts disposal costs and can create revenue from recovered materials.
• Resource Optimization: Using materials more efficiently reduces input costs.
• Process Improvement: Sustainability assessments often reveal operational inefficiencies addressable through process redesign.

As Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s CSO, observes:

“There’s a perception that sustainability always costs more, but we’ve found that it doesn’t have to."

Jim Andrew

Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo

Talent Attraction and Retention

Employees, particularly younger generations, increasingly prioritize working for purpose-driven organizations:

• Strong sustainability commitments help attract top talent
• Engaging employees in sustainability initiatives increases retention
• Sustainability goals provide meaningful work that enhances employee satisfaction
• Corporate values alignment improves overall employee engagement

Innovation Catalyst

CSOs drive innovation by:

• Challenging conventional assumptions about products, processes, and business models
• Creating space for experimentation with sustainable alternatives
• Connecting with external innovation ecosystems
• Allocating resources to pilot emerging sustainable technologies

Key Challenges Faced by Chief Sustainability Officers

Despite growing organizational commitment, CSOs navigate significant obstacles in executing their mandates.

1. Balancing Short-Term Performance with Long-Term Sustainability

Organizations face constant pressure to deliver quarterly results, which can conflict with sustainability investments that pay off over longer time horizons. CSOs must:

• Build compelling business cases demonstrating both immediate and long-term value
• Secure executive support for investments with extended payback periods
• Identify “quick wins” that build momentum while pursuing transformational change
• Frame sustainability as essential to long-term competitiveness rather than discretionary spending

2. Resource Constraints and Budget Competition

Despite increasing budgets, CSOs often lack resources proportional to their ambitious mandates:

• Competing for budget allocation with functions that have more established ROI metrics
• Building teams with necessary expertise amid talent shortages in sustainability fields
• Accessing technology and systems needed for robust data management
• Justifying continued investment when facing economic headwinds

3. Data Quality and Measurement Challenges

Accurate ESG reporting depends on high-quality data, which many organizations struggle to collect:

• Fragmented data systems across global operations
• Lack of standardization in sustainability metrics
• Difficulty obtaining data from supply chain partners
• Evolving reporting frameworks requiring new data collection approaches
• Technology gaps in ESG data management platforms

According to recent CSO surveys, data quality remains one of the top concerns keeping sustainability leaders awake at night in 2025.

4. Regulatory Complexity and Compliance Burden

The sustainability regulatory landscape grows increasingly complex:

• Different requirements across jurisdictions (EU, US, Asia-Pacific)
• Rapid evolution of regulations requiring constant monitoring
• Technical complexity of compliance (e.g., Scope 3 carbon accounting)
• Resource-intensive reporting and verification processes

As Todd Fein notes: “The level of effort involved to manage across regulators, raters, investors, customers, etc. has become stifling for many CSOs, depleting resources that would otherwise allow them to pursue actual improvements and innovation.”

5. Organizational Change Resistance

Sustainability transformation requires behavior change at all levels, often encountering resistance:

• Skepticism from employees who view sustainability as “green washing” or distraction
• Middle management resistance when sustainability conflicts with operational metrics
• Cultural inertia in organizations with established ways of working
• Lack of understanding about why sustainability matters to business success

Effective CSOs employ comprehensive change management strategies to address resistance systematically.

6. Greenwashing Concerns and Credibility

CSOs walk a fine line between ambitious communication and credible claims:

• Increasing scrutiny from regulators, media, and activists regarding sustainability claims
• Risk of legal action for misleading environmental marketing
• Need to balance aspirational goals with honest assessment of current performance
• Pressure to demonstrate progress without overstating achievements

Avoiding greenwashing requires rigorous data, third-party verification, transparent reporting of both progress and shortfalls, and disciplined communication aligned with actual performance.

7. Supply Chain Complexity

For most organizations, the majority of environmental and social impact occurs in the supply chain:

• Limited visibility into supplier practices, especially lower-tier suppliers
• Dependence on suppliers who may lack sustainability capabilities or commitment
• Cost implications of shifting to sustainable suppliers
• Complexity of ensuring compliance across global supply networks

8. Setting Priorities Among Competing Sustainability Issues

The sustainability agenda encompasses numerous issues, requiring difficult prioritization:

• Climate change and decarbonization
• Water stewardship and conservation
• Biodiversity and ecosystem protection
• Circular economy and waste reduction
• Social equity and human rights
• Community investment and stakeholder engagement

CSOs must conduct materiality assessments to focus resources on issues most material to their business and stakeholders, accepting that they cannot address everything simultaneously.

“The CSO role is about long-term change. You plant seeds and wait for them to grow, but push too fast, and it can backfire."

Anna Krotova

Chief Sustainability Officer, Picnic Technologies

Best Practices for CSO Success

Leading Chief Sustainability Officers employ proven strategies to navigate challenges and drive meaningful progress.

1. Secure Executive and Board Support

Sustainability transformation requires top-level commitment:

• Educate board members on sustainability risks and opportunities
• Demonstrate clear connections between sustainability and business value
• Involve the CEO as a visible champion of sustainability initiatives
• Ensure sustainability features are regularly in board discussions
• Align sustainability metrics with executive compensation when appropriate

2. Embed Sustainability in Core Business Strategy

Avoid treating sustainability as a separate initiative:

• Integrate sustainability considerations into strategic planning processes
• Connect sustainability goals to overall business objectives
• Ensure sustainability features in major business decisions (M&A, capital allocation, product development)
• Frame sustainability as a business imperative rather than a compliance obligation

As emphasized by Edstellar’s Sustainable Leadership training, embedding sustainability principles into leadership practices creates lasting organizational transformation.

3. Build Cross-Functional Partnerships

No CSO can succeed in isolation:

• Invest time in relationship building across the organization
• Create formal governance structures (sustainability councils, working groups)
• Develop shared goals that create mutual incentives for collaboration
• Celebrate successes that result from cross-functional partnerships
• Provide support and resources to functional leaders implementing sustainability initiatives

4. Focus on Material Issues

Prioritize ruthlessly to maximize impact:

• Conduct rigorous materiality assessments involving stakeholder input
• Focus resources on sustainability issues most material to business performance
• Align sustainability strategy with stakeholder priorities
• Regularly reassess materiality as business context and stakeholder expectations evolve

5. Set Ambitious but Achievable Goals

Goals must balance aspiration with credibility:

• Establish science-based targets aligned with climate science (e.g., 1.5°C pathway)
• Set interim milestones that demonstrate progress and build momentum
• Be transparent about baseline, methodology, and assumptions
• Communicate both successes and challenges honestly

6. Invest in Data Infrastructure

Quality data enables effective management and credible reporting:

• Implement robust ESG data management systems
• Standardize data collection processes across operations
• Ensure data quality through verification and auditing
• Leverage technology (AI, IoT) to automate data collection where possible

7. Tell Compelling Stories

Data alone doesn’t inspire action:

• Develop narratives that connect sustainability to purpose and values
• Use storytelling to make abstract sustainability concepts tangible
• Highlight employee contributions and customer impact
• Communicate through multiple channels to reach diverse audiences
• Balance aspirational vision with honest assessment of current state

8. Build External Partnerships

Leverage external expertise and collaborative opportunities:

• Partner with NGOs for credibility and specialized knowledge
• Join industry coalitions to advance sector-wide standards
• Engage with academia for research and innovation partnerships
• Work with technology providers developing sustainability solutions
• Participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives addressing systemic challenges

9. Develop Sustainability Talent

Build organizational capability through training and development:

• Provide sustainability training programs for employees at all levels
• Develop sustainability expertise within functional teams
• Create career paths for sustainability professionals
• Recognize and reward sustainability contributions
• Build a culture of continuous learning on sustainability topics

10. Maintain Continuous Improvement Mindset

Sustainability is a journey, not a destination:

• Regularly assess progress against goals and adjust strategies
• Learn from failures and iterate approaches
• Benchmark against industry leaders and adopt best practices
• Stay informed on emerging sustainability issues and solutions
• Foster culture of experimentation and innovation

CSO Success Factors: Traditional vs. Transformational Approach

The Future of the CSO Role

The Chief Sustainability Officer role will continue evolving rapidly, shaped by regulatory, market, and technological forces.

Emerging Trends Shaping the CSO Role

Regulatory Intensification

Sustainability regulations are proliferating globally, fundamentally reshaping the CSO mandate:

• EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requiring detailed ESG disclosures
• SEC climate disclosure rules (in various forms across jurisdictions)
• Supply chain due diligence legislation (EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)
• Plastic packaging regulations and extended producer responsibility
• Biodiversity and nature-related disclosure requirements

This regulatory wave transforms CSOs from voluntary initiative leaders to compliance officers managing complex, high-stakes regulatory requirements—with significant penalties for non-compliance.

AI and Technology Integration

Artificial intelligence and advanced technologies are transforming sustainability management:

• Automated ESG data collection and reporting reducing manual effort
• Predictive analytics identifying sustainability risks and opportunities
• AI-powered optimization of energy, water, and resource use
• Supply chain transparency through blockchain and IoT sensors
• Carbon accounting automation enabling real-time emissions tracking

As IBM Chief Sustainability Officer Christina Shim describes in a 2025 Trellis article, AI is already streamlining IBM’s emissions reporting, cutting reporting costs by around 30%, and giving sales teams a competitive edge through faster, tailored responses to client requests.

Financial Integration

Sustainability and finance are converging:

• CFO and CSO collaboration intensifying as ESG affects capital access
• Sustainability-linked financing (loans, bonds) tying financial terms to ESG performance
• ESG factors integrated into credit ratings and cost of capital
• Sustainability metrics included in financial reporting
• Carbon pricing and accounting affecting P&L

This integration elevates the CSO’s influence while requiring greater financial sophistication.

Scope Expansion Beyond Environmental Issues

CSO mandates increasingly encompass social and governance dimensions:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
• Human rights across supply chains
• Ethical AI and technology governance
• Community investment and stakeholder capitalism
• Board governance and executive compensation

This expansion requires CSOs to develop broader expertise beyond environmental specialization.

Potential Future CSO Archetypes

Based on evolving organizational needs, three potential CSO archetypes may emerge:

1. The Strategic Integrator

• Positions sustainability at core of business strategy
• Focuses on value creation and competitive advantage
• Partners closely with CEO and business units
• Drives innovation and business model transformation

2. The Compliance Navigator

• Specializes in regulatory risk management
• Ensures organization meets complex, evolving disclosure requirements
• Works closely with legal and audit functions
• Focuses on risk mitigation and avoiding penalties

3. The Change Catalyst

• Drives cultural transformation around sustainability
• Champions purpose and stakeholder capitalism
• Focuses on employee engagement and organizational capability building
• Connects sustainability to talent attraction and retention

Many CSOs will blend elements of all three, with emphasis varying based on organizational context and lifecycle stage.

Skills for the Future CSO

Tomorrow’s CSOs will need:

• Financial Acumen: Understanding how sustainability affects enterprise value.
• Technology Fluency: Leveraging AI, blockchain, and advanced analytics.
• Systems Thinking: Addressing interconnected environmental and social challenges.
• Political Navigation: Managing competing stakeholder interests.
• Global Perspective: Operating across diverse cultural and regulatory contexts.
• Agility: Adapting to a rapidly changing sustainability landscape.

Real-World Examples: CSOs Making Impact

Leading companies demonstrate the transformative potential of effective sustainability leadership.

PepsiCo: Jim Andrew

Jim Andrew, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo, leads the company’s PepsiCo Positive (pep+) transformation agenda, which puts climate, water, agriculture, and circularity at the core of the business model. Under his leadership, PepsiCo has reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by around 33% versus a 2015 baseline, as reported in the PepsiCo 2023 ESG Summary and its climate change disclosure.

A central lever in this shift is the Sustainable Operations from the Start (SOftS) framework, which requires new manufacturing and distribution sites to be funded, scoped, and activated with net-zero and net-water-positive design principles from day one, as outlined in PepsiCo’s Climate Transition Plan. Andrew has also expanded regenerative agriculture programs and value-chain initiatives across millions of acres of farmland, linking long-term resilience with decarbonisation.

In multiple forums, including Sustainability LIVE Climate Week NYC and Sustainability Magazine’s CSO profile, he has challenged cost myths directly: “There’s a perception that sustainability always costs more, but we’ve found that it doesn’t have to.”

Google: Kate Brandt

Kate Brandt, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer, has overseen some of the most visible corporate climate commitments in tech. Google has matched its annual electricity use with 100% renewable energy since 2017 and has maintained carbon-neutral operations for well over a decade, as documented in its sustainability site and environmental reports and in the blog Our third decade of climate action. Her team has also driven circular design and packaging initiatives across Google’s hardware portfolio and broader waste-reduction programs.

Brandt is now steering Google toward its next horizon: using products and data platforms to help others decarbonise. Through tools such as the Environmental Insights Explorer, and as highlighted in recent coverage of Google’s environmental strategy (for example, Sustainability Magazine’s analysis of Google’s 2025 environmental report and independent reporting on its 1-gigaton ambition), Google aims by 2030 to enable one gigaton of CO₂-equivalent emissions reductions per year across cities, partners, and users.

Brandt has framed this as a leadership challenge as much as a technical one, arguing that women and diverse sustainability leaders more broadly are playing a decisive role in driving genuine environmental and social change across industries.

Microsoft: Melanie Nakagawa

Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft, is responsible for delivering on one of the most ambitious corporate climate agendas: Microsoft’s pledge to be carbon negative by 2030 and to remove all historical emissions since its 1975 founding by 2050, first set out in the official blog Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030 and reaffirmed in subsequent updates such as Progress on the road to 2030 and the UNFCCC case study.

A key instrument in this strategy is Microsoft’s US$1 billion Climate Innovation Fund, designed to accelerate climate-tech solutions through equity and debt investments. As covered in both Microsoft’s own communications and external analyses (for example, Energy Digital’s breakdown of the fund’s leverage effect), the fund has catalysed several billions of dollars in downstream climate projects by using Microsoft as an early buyer and anchor investor. Nakagawa’s work, reflected across her series of sustainability and AI posts on the Microsoft blog, is explicitly data-driven: she is using Microsoft’s cloud, AI, and analytics capabilities to tackle Scope 3 emissions, support water-positive and zero-waste goals, and integrate climate criteria into procurement and product design, turning the company’s tech stack into a lever for system-scale decarbonisation.

Key Success Factors Across Examples

These leading CSOs share common characteristics:

• Executive Support: Direct access to CEO and board enabling strategic influence.
• Adequate Resources: Significant budgets reflecting organizational commitment.
• Ambitious Targets: Science-based goals driving innovation and urgency.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Sustainability embedded across business functions.
• Transparency: Public commitments and regular progress reporting building accountability.
• Long-Term Orientation: Multi-decade goals transcending short-term pressures.

Comparative View of CSO Impact:

Cross-Case Patterns:

Conclusion and Next Steps

The Chief Sustainability Officer has evolved from a peripheral advisory role to a strategic executive position essential for organizational resilience, competitiveness, and long-term value creation. As most companies now employ CSOs, the role continues gaining prominence with  organizations positioning CSOs in lead roles for sustainability strategy, more than doubling from the previous year.

Key Takeaways

• CSOs are strategic business leaders who integrate sustainability into core operations, driving value creation alongside environmental and social impact
• The role encompasses eight critical responsibilities including strategy development, risk management, stakeholder engagement, innovation leadership, and cultural transformation
• Success requires unique skill combinations blending technical sustainability knowledge, business acumen, leadership capabilities, and diplomatic influence
• CSOs face significant challenges including resource constraints, regulatory complexity, data quality issues, and organizational resistance
• Leading CSOs employ proven strategies such as securing executive support, focusing on material issues, building cross-functional partnerships, and maintaining continuous improvement mindsets
• The role continues evolving shaped by regulatory intensification, technological advancement, financial integration, and scope expansion beyond environmental concerns

The Business Case for Sustainability Leadership

Organizations with effective CSOs demonstrate clear advantages:

• Enhanced risk management identifying and mitigating sustainability-related threats before they materialize
• Revenue growth through sustainable product innovation and market differentiation
• Operational efficiency via resource optimization and waste reduction
• Talent attraction and retention as employees increasingly seek purpose-driven organizations
• Access to capital as ESG considerations influence investment decisions

As William Barnett, director of Stanford’s Initiative on Business and Environmental Sustainability, observes: 

Developing Sustainability Leadership Capability

Organizations seeking to maximize CSO effectiveness should invest in building sustainability capability throughout the enterprise. This includes providing comprehensive training programs that equip leaders and employees with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary for sustainability transformation.

Edstellar offers specialized corporate training solutions designed to develop sustainability leadership at all organizational levels, including:

• Sustainable Leadership Training: embedding sustainability principles into leadership practices
• Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Policy Training equipping teams to integrate sustainability and ethical governance
• Visionary Leadership & Strategic Thinking Training, developing strategic capabilities essential for sustainability transformation

By investing in sustainability capability development across the organization, companies amplify the CSO’s impact and embed sustainability into organizational DNA.

The Path Forward

The Chief Sustainability Officer role will continue evolving as sustainability transitions from a competitive differentiator to a business imperative. Organizations that empower their CSOs with executive support, adequate resources, cross-functional collaboration, and enterprise-wide capability building will be best positioned to thrive in an increasingly sustainability-conscious world.

The question is no longer whether organizations need sustainability leadership, but how effectively they can develop and leverage it to drive competitive advantage, manage emerging risks, and create long-term value for all stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions