More and more companies are adding chief sustainability officers to their ranks but, despite the standardized title, the job functions can vary dramatically.
The basic function of a CSO is to help businesses achieve their social and environmental goals. But in some organizations, despite the executive-sounding titles, they’re still fringe positions; in others, they’ve become integral parts. Some CSOs may be more focused on advocacy; others on innovation. Some may report to the CEO; others may not.
Given the variabilities—and the importance—the role is at a crossroads, particularly with mandatory ESG reporting rolling out across Europe and California’s recent emissions disclosure law. As companies look to bulk up these roles to comply with the new laws, it’s also an opportunity for them to invest more in sustainability, and fuse that work into core operations.
“We increasingly see this role as fast-growing, but it is, in many ways, little understood,” says Anand Chopra-McGowan, VP and general manager at Emeritus, an ed-tech startup that partners with universities to provide accessible online educational programs. Increasingly, Emeritus’s students, many of whom are working professionals, are interested in sustainable leadership education.
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